


Working-Out the Heart(rate)

by snacc_noir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alix pays the consequences and she's an angry skater pixie, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bet you've never seen that one, Don't read the tags thinking they'll help with the story srsly just don't bother, Except ooh, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Gym Membership AU, Heartrate, I maybe probably absolutely promise this one will actually get finished, Kim is stupid no surprise, Ondine's like non-existent ok I can do what I want, Positions is better terming, Post-Reveal Pre-Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Slow Burn, That's right, The Kim x Alix version, The heart pun process for the title was unbelievable, Yoga? Maybe? Can I do that again?, and I can't even verbalise my adoration for this ship, and they're like dating bc we don't have time to uncover THAT drama, because it's, but not really, it's a, listen, okay but listen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2020-06-24 01:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 47,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19713514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snacc_noir/pseuds/snacc_noir
Summary: Enough evaluation proved the Couple Gym Membership was cheaper, in a better location, and wouldn’t be interrupted by fluorescently designed villains calling his assessment and workout time off.Kim couldn’t let the opportunity bye-bye butterfly. Thus spawned one logical explanation from the least logical individual in Paris:He needed a fake girlfriend.And Alix had always said she hated backing down from a challenge, right?





	1. Kim, the Newfound Genius

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaoticheartrate (On Instagram)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=chaoticheartrate+%28On+Instagram%29).



> I am alive. Thanks. It's chaoticheartrate's on Instagram's birthday and she gives the most miraculously incredible Heartrate posts, so I thought she deserved a little gift (psst go follow her). Here's your birthday gift lovely! Just a warning, come @ me if it seems I might not be finishing it because man even I wanna know the end of this.
> 
> Enjoy some awkward interactions, painful exercise, and Kim being, as always, a major idiot.
> 
> Find me on [ Tumblr ](https://snacc-noir.tumblr.com/) for cool stuff and more writings

Without living in a city full of spontaneous supervillain attacks, working out was painful enough.

But working out _during_ an akuma attack? Really? Just—Hawk Moth. Come on. Scarce time fluttered into Kim’s schedule enough already, and that was taking into consideration that he’d only ever done his homework the morning it’s due. He couldn’t imagine how his other _academic_ classmates went. Though, they know more what they’re doing than himself. But still. Swimming, hanging, working out—not to sound like a Chloé or anything but the time left for things he actually enjoyed was ridiculous.

Utterly. Ridiculous.

But fine, poor guy! Right? Obviously had some tension with flowers and decided to be emotional enough about them to have a man dressed as a butterfly target his distress. Kim would just add it to the list of reasons he didn’t trust people with allergies right under the document labelled “ _vegans”_.

And besides the clamourous influx of corolla segments blighting the Parisian streets—hay-fever even more so—it certainly wasn’t head of the peculiar-villains rating.

Kim’s annoyance rating, _yes._

He loved his gym time, okay? _Preserved_ it best he could – especially after its dent in his student bank account.

Besides the pretentious Greek-god physique he’d naturally been gifted, Midtown Bootcamp Original catered for most all reasons for his muscular build, so _excuse him_ for feeling a bit miffed when faculty members began their routine process of chastising every individual to desist and orderly rest until further notice.

Which sucked for the most part, sitting, sweaty, longing for the discarded kettlebells ten neon-floor feet away.

But awaiting the pensive ‘further notice’ lead to the portentous unearthing of _the_ notice.

“What’s this?”

Kim blinked, eyes big and curious and actually _reading_ ; the snatched-up advertisement tightening by his clutch. He wiped down his wristband and bore holes into the paper.

See first he saw, _‘Deal’_ then, ‘ _Discounted’_ and finally _‘Additional Classes’._

—In other words, not catching the bulk, disturbingly obvious yet neglectable apparently, key-word of ‘ _COUPLE’_ in pink, Bauhaus 93 font.

‘ _Oh.’_

Until he _did_ see it.

“Couple Classes available now,” he murmured already with the hype dissolving off his face. “New at Midtown… You and a loved one… Beneficial prices—Ooh!” Instinctually, he passed over the fine paragraphs straight to the louder bulleted points.

“Two-hundred euros for five classes?! But that’s―oh, right, two people. Is that…?”

A dark-haired woman tossed an odd glance and he shook it off.

The underground studio detained the programme. The underground studio _also_ didn’t oblige to akuma attack’s inconveniences as no villains ever beleaguered such a sanctuary. Not only would he bench-press in affluent conditions, but those kinds of benefits meant Kim would no longer spend his workout days hiding from rampaging psychos or moping about the stupidity of wrinkled assessments stuffed in his bag _still_ needing to be done, then head-banging the table as he finished them during his paid gym booking. _Those_ were some benefits he could get behind.

But was it more expensive than buying singular classes?

* * *

“No.”

Kim had never heard his best friend answer in such an elementary, wordless way.

“Oh? You mean—it’s cheaper for someone to do the couple course? Than just going to regular classes?”

Max pressed into his pillow and said the answer to the cotton, stewing that sleep had been migrated into humans’ biology for a _reason_ , for science’ sake. “Taken from the selective information you’ve provided me, I’m confounded to tell you that given two people would split the two-hundred-pound expense, that indeed, Kim, the Couple Course is more beneficial than your current gym practice.”

He dwelled, wide-eyed and roof-gazing. Markov exuded a beep as he perched, seemingly asleep, above Kim on his friend’s desk. “So what you’re saying is, there’s a cheaper, cooler option that would guarantee no interruptions from akumas―,”

Max made a helpless noise in agreement,

“―but I can’t _do it?_ ”

The face-flat teen chose calculated seconds before relinquishing the least of what he could, “Mm.”

Kim shot upright, alarmed, disgusted, and having none of it. “ _Are you_ _for real?_ ”

A heave. “Kim.” Max sounded on the verge of passing out, and yet, the single syllable managed the weight of permanent exhaust accounted by those who’d been personally victimised by endless shenanigans and lavish stupidity. “May I remind you we passed our designated time of somnus-beginning two hours ago.”

“I know! I know, but… I just can’t believe any of it!”

He rolled out crudely, “This is what happens when you read, Kim.”

A pillow hit his friend’s mop of hair and Kim ignored the indignant groan. “It wasn’t my fault. I was trapped on a bench as a flower man petalled people near the Louvre. It was so dumb, I could’ve just kept working out but _nooo_ it wasn’t ‘safe’. I’ve raced a panther. I can handle vegetation, _pssh_.”

Max’s body moved in his four-blanket-swaddle to encase his face, looking rather immodestly opulent beside Kim’s singular shoved-off textile. “One: Kim, you never raced a panther.”

“Well I _kind_ o―”

“And two,” he spoke hoarse and muffled and _done_ , “you’re scared of vegans, so I would argue you cannot handle vegetation.”

“Okay I am _not_ scare―”

“And three; Go. To. Sleep.”

“But I can’t sleep with this injustice!”

He smothered his face more. “Well I can.”

A childish huff and murmured sulks didn’t hesitate Max’s largely awaited endeavour for rest and eventually, the immediate snoring a helpful gauge, Kim came to terms that past eleven pm. his friend was no longer of use to his crisis.

The _absurdity_ of it though. Here was this amazing opportunity for him to maintain his strength he’d been proud of since _ecole primaire_ _―_ less costly, snazzier placement, absent of akuma interruptions―and of course, with Kim’s luck, it had to be for _couples._

He paused.

Every vivid benefit wavered the course of his thinking and provoked discontentment – for the option to do it was near-impossible without him being part of a ‘couple’…

Thoughtful eyes shifted the dark-saturated room.

And if Kim wasn’t part of a supposed ‘romantic pair’ then there was no way he could even _contemplate_ the idea of signing up to reap those undigestible benefits…

The silence stung the space.

So if he didn’t get a ‘girlfriend’ to partake in this thrifty experience, he could just stop all-together envisaging the rise in his account and time on his hands, but otherwise, if he managed to…

The idea hit him like a truck; a very polite truck, that didn’t harm him, but rather, made him feel the most _genius_ and intelligent individual on earth. (Max let out a snore and that revelation didn’t last long.)

A simple hack.

A simple ask.

A simple charade.

It was simple! Kim only needed one thing:

A fake girlfriend.

* * *

He stared at her about to take her seat, waiting, wishful, wondering; the words fresh and ready to leap off his tongue.

The time thieved from his English lesson to conjure the correct way to go about his operation certainly affected his intelligence on the matter (and certainly affected his revision quiz result) that Kim could safely say he was pretty much an expert on his own idea.

He’d thought reasonably about it (alone, quite a big step), he’d meditated (Miss Bustier taught him well), and the exhilaration from the charade’s potential deceit racked up his body to form a fervent grin when she made eye contact. All that was left now, was him to preach his incredibility, and have her ready and approving.

Hopefully.

Cautious of his excitement, Alix took her seat.


	2. The "Confession"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wasn't kidding.

Alix held both spoonful and recent receiving of information in the air, frozen in time (good to know she knew how it felt) and stared with a horrible approximation of _willing_.

“You want me to _what?”_

Noting by her inexistent hearing problems and food-tray distance that she probably _had_ heard him, the cry wasn’t pleasantly acknowledged. Kim had just hoped (expected) the request would be digested with a little less, well, _volume_.

“It’s not real,” he rushed, the phrase―knowingly for both parties―being the biggest reassurance. “We just sign under the membership and split the cost. Max did the math; it’s cheaper. Come on.”

Alix observed the nearby tables’ crowds and blinked back at him. “You have the craziest ideas sometimes, you know Kim? And I’m usually up for each one.” Exasperation lowered, she neglected her soup and punctured her juice carton. “But this one seems quite out there.”

“That’s because it’s so _incredible_.”

She clicked her tongue. “Right.”

“There’s no downside, Alix.” His tone wavered between pleading and impatience. Juleka, Mylène, and Rose split their attention from lunch to them rhythmically, filling empty noise with conversation. “Come on. You were the only one I could ask.”

Her brow raised at that. “Marinette?”

“You _know_ she’s never free.”

“Ondine?”

A pensive quietening simmered through the table.

Max leant over to her, hushed. “As of the other week, they have conjointly elected it more preferable to remain as just friends.” A thoughtful pause. Kim rolled his eyes. “Well, at first it was a one-sided choice, but―”

“She found a guy at her school.”

Intrigued, Alix sipped her beverage. “Is that why you’re more at the gym then the pool?”

“Ye―”

“ _No,_ Max, I just– I like the gym as well.” He conjured a showman grin. “And you love working out too, right Alix? I mean, you definitely can’t tell but I’m sure you―”

A scrunched napkin knocked down his bravo.

“Really selling it to me, meathead.” A drawled sip. “Sorry I don’t want to look like I take steroids.”

The napkin fell in his tray, unnoticed. “Jealous of these assets?” He flexed in the way of Juleka’s meal, who in turn looked up at him, brows raised. Alix’s lips around her straw didn’t even flinch. “Oh come on, Midtown’s even _near_ you. _I’m_ the one who has to walk ages. It gives me more workout time and savings for _Gabriel’s_ new sports shoes. Do the course with me, _pleeease?_ ”

All eyes trapped Alix, two much more pathetic than the rest, in her opinion.

“Ask properly.”

His clasped hands dropped. “Huh?”

“You don’t just ‘plead’ for someone to fake-date you,” she said, amusement brimming, “you gotta ask me in your proper, gentlemanly way.”

“…Meaning?”

Her delight irked him. “Nice confession, a rose, maybe? – No, a _violet_. Yeah. Like my codename, and less overused or traditionally romantic.”

He blinked.

From the disbelieving quiet, Max let out a snort.

Since the day he met Alix he had known her to be that cunning little (and he meant _little)_ friend he’d happily witness prank others any other day or smart mouth rude students, but this was just _disrespectful_ ; disrespectful to his masculinity, and his completely-serious idea. She, at a time like this, had the gall to _joke._

“You’re kidding,” he deadpanned.

“If I’m kidding, I’m not your fake girlfriend.”

He was starting to realise the complications of asking _Alix_ of all people to spend two out of seven afternoons with him.

Ashamed, defeated, huffing, Kim retracted himself from the table―lunch almost forgotten; he three sixty-ed and stuffed half a sandwich in his mouth―then stomped to Nathaniel conveniently a few strides away. Like always, a sketchbook laid open, and a startled expression took hold of his face when his curtain of hair revealed Kim.

“Are you serious?”

Hair mounts of all colours poised over the tampered-with, palish paper slapped atop the eating surface, all fighting for a view. Alix still leaked of glee after chuckling at his quick journey of commissioning Nath in thirty seconds.

The rushed squiggles, too, laughed at him.

“It’s a violet?” It’s a stupidity, he wanted to say instead. Not in offence to Nate, but in offence to how Alix decided to turn his ingenious plan into that of embarrassment on his half.

“You– Wow. That’s really thoughtful, Kim.”

Her familiar sarcasm had him snatching the violet up and throwing it at her face. “Date me.”

She settled her drink and held the paper. “Hm. Such a gentleman. The kind gesture will have me in debate for a few days.”

“ _Alix.”_

 _“_ Unless, like, there’s a totally planned-out confession attached to speed my decision.”

Was she kidding?

No, they’d been over this.

 _‘Gym benefits, no akuma attacks, underground studio_ _―’_

“Maybe some desperate punk to deliver it to me.”

‘― _Gabriel Papillion Blanc Sports shoes.’_

She was having too much fun. Which _was not_ fair considering it was _him_ who was letting her in on this incredible opportunity. But—as Kim had to keep reminding himself, violet mocking―it didn’t matter! They’d do the course together and _both_ maintain their athletic physique in an uninterruptable sanctuary while saving money. And that―

“ _Kimmy.”_

 _―_ was all. that. mattered.

“This flower-thing is for you.” He gestured, tiredly, to the worn-drawing abandoned and leaning against her soup bowl. He couldn’t believe his next words. “It’s a symbol of uh, my love for you? Because, like, it happened quickly. Yeah! With no warning, and I was confused. And it’s not too detailed, since I haven’t been in love with you for years. Like, two minutes, apparently.”

His audience obtained the wrong joy he preferred, tasteful to his speech.

“And… it can be scrunched? But it doesn’t affect its, uh– your, beauty?” He glared at it. “And you can’t get rid of it. Uh, I mean, my love? Yes! So that’s why I’m asking you―in a very gentlemanly way―to be my, um,” doing a great deed for his nerves, Alix smiled, cruelly. “fake girlfriend?”

Max supported him with two weak claps.

“Aw! That was so _romantic_!” Rose gushed and leaned into a passive Juleka. “You did great Kim.”

“I think it needed a few more compliments, but,” Alix shrugged and drew her straw back to her mouth, “it wasn’t bad for someone who spends their English class balancing a pen on their lip.”

He withered.

“But yeah, whatever, I’ll do the course.”

Kim tipped his head back, sighing a great noise of triumph.

“You have to do the details and stuff, though,” she warned. “I’ll give you the one-hundred euros but you can register us. I mean, it sounded great at the start – weird, but a good idea. I’ll do it I guess, I mean, I’m free Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. There’s no reason not to, so sure.”

Now in his seat, Kim held his egg sandwich by his hand. “You wanted to do it from the _start_?”

Nonchalant, Alix returned to her lukewarm soup, evil, devious, and _nodding_.

He stared as she took her periodic sips.

They were going to have a _great_ time.


	3. Booking Before Looking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- at the website or flyer. Good going Kim.

“’It’s close to the Louvre’, he says. ‘You can skate there in a minute’, he says.”

“Okay, _hey._ My Math isn’t too good,” Kim anointed her with a frown, feet scuffing the pavement, “and you’re skating slower because you’re keeping up with my pace.”

A flame of smugness sparked in the way Alix glided the turn. “Ooh, is the all-speedy Kim admitting he’s _slow?_ ”

“Pff, he is not!”

His irritation spurred her. “Slower than the _midget_.”

At his jabbing motion she swerved off the path, dodging and roving back around him cleanly. “My point is I shouldn’t even be here; I wasn’t supposed to do anything but show.”

“ _They’re_ the ones who said we both had to be there in person to sign up,” he reminded her, for the third or fourth time, that _afternoon._ “And to explain whatever it is we’re doing and when.”

She circled a street pot shrub, clasped hands behind unused in her balance, movements effortless as she raked the road. Kim surveyed in admiration. “It didn’t say on the notice?”

He thought back to the blue and pink flyer. In honesty, he hadn’t read _every_ paragraph, or followed up the suggestion of grazing the site for details with extra clarity. It didn’t matter anyway. They were discovering them today, together. “They still need to tell us stuff in person, I guess. I mean, why else would they demand to see us this afternoon?”

“This afternoon,” she said bitterly. “This afternoon where I could be learning awesome art tricks with Nath or going to a Kitty Section practice to watch. Things I was _also_ invited to attend.” Things she didn’t have to mull about not bringing her hoodie to, _away_ from the shivering streets of Paris (which was realistically the only reason she was complaining about her current predicament). “But it had to be this afternoon where the wind loves assaulting me.”

He eyed her critically at the turn on Rue Hérold street. “Are you cold?”

She glanced, slowing her needless movements around objects and himself, then shrugged. “I guess.”

He’d been so distracted with the gym issue he hadn’t felt the occasional piercing gales. Senses now present, the wind still didn’t disturb him. “Did you want my hood? I don’t feel it.”

Her gaze lingered, thoughtful, roving him. It turned forward, a sigh below. “We’re just about there.”

Kim nodded as his fingers dropped his hem. “Fair point. It’d be way too big on you anyway.”

The comment was absent, able to be brushed aside. Alix didn’t let it. “What? I’m not _that_ small. I’ve grown, you know. In fact, I bet I’ll be around your height in a few more years. I _could_ fit it,” she said, not even believing herself. “Even now.”

“Ha!” Instinctually, he scoffed, the diminutive spitfire confronting him with a glare. “First of all, you are still short, Alix. But I don’t mind. It’s adorable.” Her wheels screeched as she threatened to fall. Kim slid a glance and held back grinning at her shock. “Seeing you next to people looking up to them – just, _aww!_ You’re my cutest friend by far, with your big eyes and scrunched up faces. When you’re angry I feel like I’m gonna melt of cuteness. Like this itty-bitty ball of rage...”

At this point, Alix had abstained from skating, standing, with an unearthly amount of ‘ _really?’_ , as Kim’s mission to costume his amusement left him wide-mouthed and―upon seeing her expression―had laughter spraying to the wind.

“…And _aw man_ I could just imagine how _cute_ you would be in my hood,” he said between loud chuckles, not even trying anymore, “letting it eat and smother you and _oh,_ your little pink head poking out the neckline because it’s so, _so_ much bigger than you–”

“I get it, thanks. Stop flirting with me.” She glided next to him – hiding her own amusement, Kim made sure to notice. “And it wouldn’t be that big so shush.”

He chuckled before moving up next to her. “You gotta get used to me flirting in public, _babe._ And prove it; put it on.”

She nodded at the structure in front, the hot pink logo brimming with volume by the blue backdrop, and its ornamental plantation shivering in the wind.

They’d arrived.

“Right.” He approached the door. “Well then, _girlfriend_. You ready to sign up for some of the best next weeks of your life with me?”

She stared, eyelids sunk. “Whatever.”

Holding the door, rolling his stare, he directed her inside.

* * *

Adeline Beauréal was having a day and a _half_.

Reception placement at a gym of all things should _not_ require as many mind-depleting tasks as it did considering all things sensical. Phone calls and papers and ‘yes _the gym actually costs money’_ were what she’d call the good ol’ days – back where her fulltime trade would havoc little stress of workload, comfy and lenient hours; all things good and mellow.

Things she didn’t want to tear her hair in complete and utter _doneness_ about. Now, with the clock hand taking its jolly-well time and the line on her forehead deepening with each glare upon the calamitous mess, duties akin and piling even more so, she couldn’t believe her CV lived up to this.

Curse the insurance-starved Couple Course.

It had her preferring the shifts of _instructing._

Almost thronging herself over the pile of papers, she flicked the lid of her flask, glaring distastefully at the resulting amount of coffee―or _lack_ thereof―and sent the buzzing phone a familiar look, snatching it.

Yet, _another_ clarification on the ‘stylishly-new, great-in-relationship-building’ couple classes, because that was _exactly_ what she needed before tackling the seventeenth page of the safety manual about said classes. Of course, the landline phone had to be the only working technology in the vicinity as paper replaced the beloved computer-run sector.

Without much less of a scream at the cluttered desk, she slammed the phone down after the caller thanked her and hung up. Two wanderers stopped the release letting out a further, much louder noise, and yet induced several more internal ones.

She pushed at the stress in her brow and conjured up a smile more fake than her drive to still be there. The couple were obvious in height dissimilarities, and the taller seemed to be dealing with a whole stress of his own, reprimanding the other to take off her skates for decency as she refused.

They were obviously a couple, and that realisation―to the marriage-like banter to the way he bent grabbing at her skates and earning a jab at his hair, his face going into shock―had her whole entity _twitching_ , for she knew exactly why both were there.

“Good evening, how can I assist you both today?”

Kim fiddled at displaced pieces of his hair when approaching the beaming receptionist. That was the _last_ time he’d ever allow his hair local for the pest’s hands. Alix, slow on his tail, glided with the grace of anyone who clearly didn’t want to be there.

“We were told to come sign for the Couple Course in person?”

He could’ve sworn the woman looked like she’d been shot for the faintest beat. Her servicing candour took over before Kim questioned it.

“Oh, yes. My co-worker informed me you were coming.” Her words ran robotically, eyes hollow. “You two are the couple, correct?”

Kim took a moment and Alix saved him with a curt, “Yes.”

“Lovely.” She yanked a draw open and the containments rattled loudly. Retrieving a sticky note, she wrote an instruction for the next worker and stuck it aside, next dropping a binder into her desk space. “The sector program is down today unfortunately, so I’ll have to register you by this.” Slipping out some papers, she queried, “Can I have your names?”

Kim offered their names and peered over at the documents. Did there really necessitate so many boxes? He could answer them himself even faster than the lady was. Maybe if he just filled it all it in half the speed then he could hang back at Alix’s for the afternoon faster. Boredom stirred already, and it took him that feeling to notice Alix had taken full leadership in handing over the responses, even about himself.

He stared in disbelief. Since when did she even know he was allergic to pecan nuts?

“―and you both have been registered at Midtown before? Or is this your first time?” the light-haired woman was saying.

Alix nodded. “Kim has. I’ve only been a few times.”

She took in the information and made a note of it. Below her she pulled out a document listing the class schedule and looked at them more intently.

“Okay, so besides safety and equipment handling which you’ll be told about on your first day, there are some things I need to go over with you about what exactly this program is about, as part of my job.”

Both parties didn’t appear too excited about that.

“It’s for growth of character. As the flyer and website say, which I assume you’ve seen, it’s not just about ‘working out’, but for ‘working out relationships’. Many couples partake in this course to build both connection and strength, which is why you won’t only do exercise and endurance sessions, but sessions to cater for your relationship’s wellbeing.” Monotonous, sunken, drawling; the lady continued the overly-rehearsed speech. “It’s important for pairs to be healthy in both kinship and physical ways. Midtown has reviewed the success of international gyms employing this new program and many couples come out better, more connected, and stronger, _together,_ which is why our company is opening this for Paris. We are aiming for―”

“Can we just know what we’re doing for the weeks?”

Alix stared at him in horror. The woman stared and almost _wept_.

“Oh thank goodness…. _Yes_. Yes, I’ll just go over the basics.” She upped her posture and revised the flyer’s contents. “It’s not all working-out, essentially. There’s couple connection junk―”

Alix raised an instant brow.

“―‘fun’ couple activities and things―”

Her mouth tipped.

“―and I think like, a competition or two. Endurance _and_ more couple stuff.”

But with his selective hearing, Kim only _grinned._

“What.”

Then turned to his fake-girlfriend in disgust. “What?”

Her mouth tipped wider, snapping shut, stare stiff and inscrutable – as though her sudden drive to speak was closed by some hindering thought. “Nothing,” she said tightly. “I thought I heard wrong.”

“Oh, and I have to make sure you’re doing the yoga or something.” The receptionist counted off her duties in her head. She was so close to finishing. Just this last thing and…. The room fuzzed and she blinked the blur away. ‘ _Almost done’_.

“I don’t think so,” Kim spoke. He looked at Alix.

Why did she look mad?

“Oh, yes then?” he tried.

“What? N―”

Adeline had her head sinking when Alix demonstrated many inferences to her boyfriend with her eyes. The whispers, or yells, or… whatever, boomed but sounded of background murmur; a buzz in her ears. ‘ _Every couple_ …’, she lamented. Either they came to her swooning and starry-eyed or _married_. Today, despite their obvious teenage age, seemed to be the rare case of the _latter_.

They’d obviously been dating a long time and decided to take even longer sorting out whatever other issue they were going on about. All she needed to catch was the earlier, _yes,_ note it for Cassie to put into sector, then let them ramble about who-knows-what before indulging the internal being that just wanted to cry over the papers.

‘ _Ten minutes left until this shift ends…’_

Scribbling the received data down, she accepted the offered money and didn’t even watch the two stumble out to the blustering Paris air, or return their blunt thank yous.

Back at the Louvre, inside affluent walls, Alix held her restraint by the fine grip of a pinkie.

Back in Kim’s brain, inside a very thick skull, barely any of the receptionist’s words were in memory.

Too long. Too boring. Too irrelevant. There was something about a competition though, right? But why had Alix scolded him in disbelief for… well, she wasn’t quite clear before, just saying, ‘ _are you serious? You didn’t hear_?’ a few times over, until they settled not signing for the yoga class (not like the tired lady cared, already noting and refusing to glance up during their argument), paying, and pestering her the rest of the way on what was wrong.

She halted skating—a bad sign—a historic artwork as her backdrop when she finally let out,

“Couple connection, activities, and comps?”

Oh,

There was _that._


	4. Agreements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How they agree on anything is a wonder tbh

Kim knew Alix often got mad.

Okay… Kim knew Alix often got mad at _him._

Shoving her in front of an akuma about to target his way (it wasn’t; it was at the end of the courtyard), that time they raced at the Trocadéro (and she erased his existence), forgetting a hangout being too occupied with Ondine (though Max felt more offended), shrieking ear-piercingly loud then throwing a cupcake at her (in his offence, the spider came out of _nowhere_ ), then there was that other time when—

Well yeah, he got the point.

Though Alix didn’t appear necessarily _mad_ , that he now realised—evaluating his mistakes and how he’d now practically _scammed_ her due to lack of research—she _should_ be, but her brows pulled tautly, and the incriminating stare was rounded – quite _worried_ if anything.

“Why didn’t you read the flyer?!”

Right, maybe she _was_ mad.

“I did!” Kim said, voice strangled. He sunk on the museum bench. “Just not… properly.”

Alix looked torn with disappointment but not at all surprise. “Oh my goodness... You’re totally not serious.”

“I am serious.”

She reeled in a duly-needed sigh, fiddling with her wrist guards, and skated a meter off the art piece presented behind her. “So we signed up for _way more_ than what we were expecting, then? I can’t believe there was all that and we knew _nothing_ about it.”

He held his hands in his lap and traced the floorboards with his gaze. Regardless of if she was mad or disappointed, neither reactions a foreign gift, guilt racked up his conscience and he suddenly dreaded the whole idea. He hadn’t regretted roping someone into something as much as he did now since Markov and the swimming incident (there went his babysitting days).

Who knew not reading thoroughly would reap such misconception? And now he had to pay the consequences! - Through the form of possibly countless lectures, uncomfortable couple activities with a friend, and worst of all, _more_ time spent with Alix.

(He loved Alix’s company, really. Their friend status was often clouded by challenges and rivalries and comps of all sorts that made the relationship seem more fun-enemy-like to the normal outsider. It was just their dynamic, and they were truly friends, but admittedly, he knew during this whole course thing Alix would now hate him. Spending time with someone who hated you wasn’t the most pleasant experience in Kim’s opinion. It was more he felt bad that _she_ had to spend time with _him._ )

“I am really sorry, Alix.”

Her wheels slid to a stop. She faced him again, passively.

No, she wasn’t mad. Just… well, it seemed she was more anxious if anything – still worrying her brows as a clamped hand hung beside.

“I shouldn’t have gotten so excited about it then ignored the details and stuff, like reading more about what we would _actually_ do.” Kim held his knees and looked down the hall of arts, past her. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. And I pulled you with me unfairly.”

Alix’s mouth parted but nothing came out, eyeing him with admiration for his maturity. She noted, in a somewhat visceral sense, that Kim had exploited slow recognising skills when it came to his mistakes in the past. Growing the pair to actually apologise so earnestly filled her dubiety and thus left her fretting the moment he would laugh, take back his words, and say she was stuck with him.

He didn’t, however, and by that surprise tainted her.

“I know the couple activities will suck and you have to do that with… me. I can pay you back for the waste of money if you hate them that much! Since we’re not doing what working out we thought we were.” Kim fiddled the hem of his hoodie-shirt.

She caught the movement with narrowed eyes.

Did he…? Yes, he assumed she was worried about physically doing the course with him now that it had changed.

“Oh no,” Alix roved over. “I don’t care that much about _that_. In a way it even improves our bargain, as stupid as doing it would be.” She unclasped and tossed her helmet neatly, the space next to Kim pillowing it. “It just means we have to step up acting as a fake couple. There’s no way they’d let us do it we weren’t. We have to act the part. How are we gonna pull that off!?”

Confused, slightly behind, and a bit too distracted with the Mona Lisa five feet from him, Kim blinked at her.

“Pull what off? Calling it off?”

“We’re not calling it off, meathead! There're way too many perks for that.” Scrunching her brow, she circled air and strode down the gallery. “I mean convincing everyone we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s totally too complex for us.”

Silence met her way. She turned, saw the look on his face, and sighed.

“Too _difficult_ ,” Alix amended.

Half-relieved she viewed _that_ as the problem, now equally as stressed about the implications of her claim, Kim blurted without a second thought, “We could make out.”

Oh, that _look._

The classic deadpan—absent of an even remotely shocked defect—look Alix had mastered.

Assuring he’d been kidding and to avoid being murdered, Kim chuckled at the half-lidded stare. “Joking! I mean, they wouldn’t expect us to do it unless we were that obnoxiously PDA couple. But that would be another way for us to get kicked out.”

“So we have to meet the middle?”

Kim rolled his broad shoulders, surveying the technique of her strides past him, one direction then the other. “I guess, yeah. And if they know we’re lying they’ll kick us out. It’s non-refundable and strictly for couples only. We _would_ have to act the part, and _right_.”

Her mouth bent. He resolved to fill the silence with additional wisdom. “We have to be smart about it.”

“Well dang,” she slewed the turn and stopped before him, fists planted to her sides, “being smart is what we’re _worst_ at.”

“I _knooow,”_ Kim moaned, plopping his head down into his hands so his palms dug into his eye sockets. Alix took parking-position with the wall and lent jadedly. “How do you ‘act’ like a couple if you’re not? Who do we be like?”

The response was mechanical, paired by a half-grin. “Nino and Alya.”

Silence seethed and the infiltration of images tarted their minds. Both Alix and Kim made childlike retching noises and moved passed _that_ topic quite quickly.

“What about… _not_ annoying each other?”

Kim contemplated, an intellectual hand accounting his chin. “That _would_ help.”

She gazed at him knowingly. “That would also be _hard_.”

He looked up. “Very true.”

“Okay, not annoying each other in _public_ then,” she resolved, because, you know, that was her favourite part about spending time with him. “Doing the therapy thing the lady mentioned without laughing is a good idea. Also, not glaring at each other or getting too competitive with other couples.”

Kim groaned and stretched back. “Stop making this _hard_.”

“Hey! Who was the one who got us into this situation?!” she snipped.

The urge to return the snap outweighed the guilt that tried pushing him down in his seat. “Who _agreed?_ And who said the only thing that mattered was acting _right_?”

She inhaled. “See! We’re already fighting again. We need to stop to avoid suspicion.”

“We’re in private, Alix,” he said, exasperation sinking. “We only have to do that at the gym or around people from the gym. Also,” his arms crossed, “I think we should have nicknames.”

“Nick– Did you, _nicknames?_ ” she spluttered.

Appeased by his own idea, Kim upped his posture. “Yeah. Why not? They’re just words. They’ll be the easiest to do anyway, _babe_.”

She crinkled her nose. Another argument wasn’t needed, and she _guessed_ he had a point. “Whatever.” Defacing him, she added, “I have rules though, about all this.”

“Fake dating?”

“Yep.” She held fingers out to list her points. “No touching unless it’s absolutely necessary, no flirting and trying to show off to anyone else but me—”

Offence bubbled out of him. “I don’t try to show off!”

Her stare across the gallery hall implied she knew otherwise.

“Fine, I do.” He set a foot atop the other, leaning coolly on the bench and eyeing her with a goading lilt. “And I do _awesome_ at it. But are you admitting you only like when I show off to _you?”_

“Oh for goodness– The _act,_ Kim.” Her tolerance grip thinned. “Plus, you didn’t let me finish: And no embarrassing me with way too many compliments way too loudly, because I _know_ you will, got it?”

Well, there went all his plans.

At least she wasn’t mad, he argued. Alix seemed to have no qualms with enduring his company for two of seven days per week and still was on board with his ingenious idea. He reasoned, that though he couldn’t annoy her the way he wanted, he was sure opportunities could spur with this new challenge.

They’d become closer, too. That wasn’t too bad. Alix was a cool friend, even though he had to stop treating her as such;

a _friend_.

The absurdity boiled a strange exhilaration within. Pretending such a false and ridiculous charade strained against the emotions of excitement and confusion. The weirdness couldn’t be ignored, but the benefits outweighed it all, anyway.

Realistically, considering they were forced to like and treat each other better than average, could anything even go wrong? Given they were never caught out?

He bit back the initial argument, knowing she was right, and nodded. “Got it.”

A beat, and Alix awaited the inevitable next words with utter dread.

“ _Babe._ ”


	5. First Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in First Class (studio's expensive-as)

Kim had a way of getting Alix into stupid stuff.

The list was too long, but in hindsight, Kim passing out from a breath-holding comp, stealing every orange from the cafeteria to smuggle in their jackets (as if they _wouldn’t_ get caught), or attempting to climb the Eiffel Tower with nothing but themselves weren’t considered the _stupidest_ anymore.

Fake girlfriend. Fake _boyfriend._

They were _fake dating_.

Her first boyfriend not only had to be fake but had to be _Kim_.

And she _agreed._

It was whatever though, right? Alix didn’t truly mind. Just a few charades and predictably moments to stifle their laughter as they bore looks of affection for the fellow patrons, relenting to the acts of deep moments and discussions neither would take seriously, and then they could have fun sweating and working and battling each other on the equipment.

She didn’t regret agreeing to his proposition, even with the odd requirements.

“You brought a jumper today.”

The room simmered with awkwardness. Fellow pairs glanced at Kim’s noise, turning back to their devices, while Alix gripped at her sleeve uneasily.

“Yeah. I see you’re still wearing the same hoodie, as usual.” She slid down the chair.

“It’s going to get a lot hotter in here.”

She recoiled at his juvenile decision to wink, shirking off any eye contact.

Alix had only attended the gym a few times with Kim, and even fewer with the girls for a few laughs and less-intense workouts. But despite the original setting only smarting her memory, she nominated the new level she and him had been introduced to moments ago _much_ better looking.

Neater, fancier, more polished. Seemed like the standard place for obnoxious rich Parisians unable to exercise without five-star air-cons, twice the amount of neon wall panels, or certified spring water in poshly rounded biodegradable cups on standby. The underground space even smelt more expensive and a previous class had only just taken place.

The pairs didn’t look similar, though. Instructed to expend amongst the alarming circle of chairs _five_ minutes ago now, ready smiles and upright backs had sagged into nothing more than concerned expressions of impatience. The instructor hadn’t reappeared and a summoning ring for awkwardness had accumulated instead.

Kim felt more bored and impatient than social discomfort, and it showed.

Showed a little _too_ loudly.

“Stop tapping.”

Like magic, it stopped, a confused look shot her way.

A grin replaced it.

_Tap, tap, tap._

“Kim.”

_Tap, tap, t_ _–_

She smacked the hand drumming against her chair.

A pause. A smile. A _glare._

Another tap.

Alix gripped his fingers.

The unsettling quiet had been disrupted, and the centre of attention moved to them. Unaware, Alix reigned her narrowed admonishment upon Kim’s daring grin and twitching fingers, clutching tighter.

She distantly wondered if squeezing any harder would break them and how willing she’d be to test that theory.

“Hey lovebirds!”

They broke out of their trance.

“Have we got everyone here?!”

A dark-haired woman bounced in with radiating energy and wide eyes. The long-awaited instructor, Alix realised with distain. She seemed _way_ too excited. Excitement meant enthusiasm, and enthusiasm meant Alix couldn’t get away with half-hearting anything without high-octave encouragement trying to proceed her lies.

She introduced herself as Talia and made everyone say their names and point to their partner.

“I’m Kim and this is… my girlfriend, Alix.”

A couple across snickered at how red he got.

First introductions, however late into the session were, at least weren’t as awkward as staring into a ring of unfamiliar faces. Most were dating, some were ‘partners’, and about three pairs were recently married. Kim and Alix didn’t take the role of the youngest. It was just their luck it wasn’t teenagers from _their_ high school viewing their spaced distance sceptically.

Talia leapt up in her chair and had everyone claim their favourite thing about their companion, earning looks of fondness, redness, and – for one pair in particular – _confusion_.

“Ah–” Kim beat his fingers on her chair at his go. Alix’s eyes fell immediately to the noise. “Her… confidence?”

Acceptable, she decided, conjuring a sly grin.

“I love Kim’s hair,” Alix said without missing a beat. A chorus of laughs rolled around as she swiped at his precious quiff and he could do nothing but force a weak smile and _let_ her.

The discomfort began to squirm the more cliché and sappy every answer got. Alix tried exceptionally hard to not strain her face in disgust with every, ‘her smile’, ‘his goofy laugh’, ‘her kindness’, ‘his way to make my day better’. Like, she hung out with Marinette enough. At one point she earned an elbow jab when her mouth bent at ‘he makes my heart flutter’, and Kim had to watch her from that moment on.

The next two questions were paired, expected, but _difficult_.

“We’ve been together for…” Kim stalled, looking at her with panic, “six– seven years. – _M_ _onths_. I mean months.”

They should’ve discussed more of the basic facts earlier.

Talia bobbed her head thoroughly, urging Alix to take the lead.

“And we met years ago at school,” she said. “We competed a lot because we, uh, liked each other. It was very obvious but I was the one who manned-up and took him out.” Kim felt the tear at his masculinity and winced. “In the dating kind of way! Of course. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”

“Aw,” the instructor cooed, like she had, _every_ other time (with _everyone_ ). “Adorable! You two must not be able to wait for the games and competitions through the course. I look forward to seeing you power them.”

She didn’t have to wait long.

The “treadhill”, despite intentionally designed as a mere activity, certainly did _not_ result in being just that.

Kim brushed off the seventh look of concern as moisture began to glaze his brows.

“Maybe you should lower the inclination, Kim. You seem to be getting pretty hot.” Alix grinned, equal sweat-amount framing her hair-line. But she wouldn’t dare take off her extremely cool snake-themed jumper if her life depended on it (which at this point, felt pretty close) to give Kim that power.

Both didn’t care that they were supposed to be in the midst of a heartfelt conversation as they treaded 4.5-level rise, damp-free and letting the virtual mountain-scenery indulge them. If Talia was content believing their argumentative banter was actually flirting and their level-10 inclination was simply how they ‘connected’, nothing would change.

“Babe, I already am hot.”

Alix puffed but made it out as a breath of disappointment. 

“That explains why you can barely keep a _ten._ ”

The wickedest expression ascended the moist contours of his face.

“I’ve kept you, haven’t I?”

―Alix’s fall, however, was not as smooth.

It was a fast, painful, and embarrassing trip down the ramp. Kim’s cackling enveloped the studio and burned the back of her crumbling train of thought. She assumed for sure her speed and time on skates – not to mention she had far less mass than the goat – would hold a guaranteed win.

And somehow, _Kim_ won with his stupid flirts.

He’d never let it go.

“S–Sugar plum!” Kim slowed the treadmill down, eyes filled with mirth and exhaustion as he and everyone else on earth it seemed peered at the crippling shocked ball.

“Are you–?” His voice shook with laughter “–Are you oka– _pff! Bahah_! I can’t! I– I–” The machine had stopped and Kim was hauled over it, fist beating the frame, cackles coming insistently with a breathy, high-pitched quality to them that, mixed with the exercise, had him wheezing like an old man and just as close to dying.

Thankfully, her trip wasn’t too dramatic, and it was his raucous that magnetised the attention, so everyone broke into their previous atmosphere moments later. The instructor, too, even before noticeably approaching was shunned away with rolled eyes and dull assurances.

Alix fixed herself upright and shoved the halfwit’s face into the mountain screen.

“Shut it, Kimmy.”

“I really can’t it was too funny.”

That kid deserved some serious revenge, but also curse him for being so _smooth_.

It wasn’t the embarrassment she thought would arise from pretending to be Kim’s girlfriend. At least the sessions were fun, adequately tolerable, and maybe the extra time with such a maddening friend wasn’t _too_ much of a burden.

Maybe she’d learn a few more things about him. Just, hopefully not more of his sense of humour, with her as the focus, at least…

Observing his hunched body shake with hilarity, she couldn’t help chuckling along too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wincing* not a fan of this chapter personally (but the laughing scene was fun to picture)
> 
> Thanks for the appreciation this fic gets btw it makes my day


	6. Misinter-trip-tations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title, if able to be discerned, should be telling enough...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff editing

“How did you go in attempting to excel in the first class?”

Kim bent the straw against his teeth and surveyed the kids filing out of their classes, thankful he and Max had escaped to the bench earlier.

“It… go-ed.”

Max’s lip twitched with amusement, fingers adjusting his glasses. “I see. What predicament did you both find yourselves in?”

It’d been two days since the influx of requirements had hit them – that being, the fact that hey, basically winging a relationship and everything that came with it wasn’t the most _ideal_ plan when it came to lying, so being more prepared should be taken into consideration next time. 

The judgmental anointings from other patrons left, right and centre, no matter what they did! Ruining the breezy ‘treadhill’ activity with their competitiveness; humming the Penguino theme-tune during through the rules, safety procedures, and ‘how the course helps your relationship speech’; the struggle during the most elementary questions – Kim choked at every one so much he was surprised he managed to remember Alix’s name.

Overall, besides the mock-use of affectious nicknames, they did _not_ excel.

“We’re the worst at being a couple,” Kim let out gravely, sipping his drink. “It’s impossible. We can’t act in-love. I mean, it was really fun, and a great workout. Especially when Alix fell off the treadmill, but,” he rolled his shoulders into the chair beside the school, “no one looked at us normally by the time we reached the dumbbells.”

Max, to the expectance of Kim, didn’t change expressions.

“I see. So you’re going to attempt to act with more romantic qualities next time?”

The juice slid down his throat bitterly. Kim scrunched his nose. “I, uh, I guess.”

There was a goading glint that smarted Max’s specs. “Do you require advice?”

Advice? Kim had never considered getting advice. Sure, he always obtained the guidance of any kind from his best friend, since he seemed to be a pot of knowledge or something, but since the incident with Chloé, the thought of asking help from Max about _romantic_ advice had never come up again.

Though, Max was intelligent, and intelligent people could conform to any mindset. Even if it was love and Max hadn’t been caught trying to woo someone in his entire life.

Kim chastised himself. _‘Love’_ advice. Pfft. This was _acting_ advice. What was his internal monologue thinking?

“Yes,” Kim spat, swallowing his pride. “Yes, please help me. I have no idea what to do and don’t want Alix to make fun of me for it.”

There was a self-righteous and infamously familiar pull to Max’s grin. “Indeed. Luckily for you, I predicted with almost positive certainty that you would come to me for help after the first interaction. I have already composed a list of actions for you to employ unto this plan.”

Honestly, Kim tried really, _really_ hard to be surprised.

“Of course,” he exhaled, the mission failing. But elation overtook him. “Wait, you did?! Max! You’re the best! That’s sure to help me!”

He hummed smugly. “Affirmative. Here you go.”

A thin piece of lined paper, toe-topped full of checkpoints, almost brimming with Max’s confined handwriting, slid into Kim’s free hand.

He set his drink and pulled it close to read.

“Embrace her after a session or around others? Wh—That sounds violent, Max.”

He peered over. “That depends on your method of hugging.”

“Hugging?” Hugging. Hugging… Oh.

_Oh._

Hugging… Alix? Like, the body holding thing?

“I’d… crush her?”

Max scoffed.

“Kim, I regret to inform you that your mass is not _that_ impressive that you could break Alix’s bones merely by a hug. She has grown taller, too. So it wouldn’t be as awkward.”

He contemplated that. A pleasant idea, but one both parties may not be comfortable with. Of course, his own tolerance for it didn’t even make it to the considerations, but rather _Alix’s_.

_‘No touching unless it’s absolutely necessary.’_

He noted that it was something he’d have to discuss with her.

Kim skimmed more writing while beside him Max reclined.

“Hey Max,” he woke his friend, “you just wrote ‘questions’ for this one.”

His spine righted, eyes half-lidded as he looked over to the pointed column. “Mm. I had estimated you wouldn’t be confident in answering the queries about your relationship. Was I correct?”

There was a lilt in Max’s voice that almost seemed mocking. Kim turned, glaring at the sedative passing of the few cars, which answered him enough.

“Interesting. Well, you need to stop freezing up at the questions. Don’t be nervous, Kim. You can do it, I’m sure. When you answer them, would thinking it would annoy her be more manageable?”

His eyes flicked to the clouds. “Always is.”

“Then answer so it will! Or, if you can’t think of how to do that, we can do some practise questions now where you answer like you’re in love?”

Confident, Kim offered a nod.

He could do this.

It was all fake. He just had to pretend; he could just be _creative._

“Okay. Example question; when Alix does something kind for you, what do you feel?”

Kim gulped.

* * *

Five minutes.

She secured her watch heirloom by the pouch of Marinette’s gifted construction, sight roving the untenanted locker-room.

Five minutes until she embarked the journey to session two.

Twenty minutes until she conformed to Kim’s girlfriend again.

Alix raised her rollerblades to the space beside her. Admittedly, the first lesson didn’t feel _horrible_. In fact, she awoke fitfully sore from the quality exercise, even if in the moment her and Kim’s competitive passion and humour dulled any strenuosity.

And yeah, she fell off the treadmill, they answered the questions horribly, and everyone gave them weird looks whenever they laughed too loud, but at least it was _fun_. While she once worried over being called out for cheating the system, the experience wasn’t _scarring_ – and they could work out the kinks and mishaps and whatever so they’d look more the part next time.

Her only qualm with the happenstance was how much clarity their obvious ‘failure’ was in the eyes of Kim. At this point, she wasn’t sure if Kim even cared how well they acted, or if his natural reckless spirit drowned his focus in the exercise. In her mind, it was her who had to step up their game for them _both_.

She tied off the blades. It didn’t matter, extremely. She could scold him to step up when he needed it. Though, she’d have to acquire a strategy for them both, anyway. How could they _not_ act like mischievous school kids when messing around at the back of the classroom together, then instead bestow an affectionate connection of maturity?

A scoff blew from her when she beelined the halls.

As if _that_ was going to happen.

“Have fun, Alix!”

A small smile met Nathaniel’s parting words – those of which she desired to follow, but knew wouldn’t be possible anymore. She wished she could have fun, but as she reviewed what ‘having fun’ placed them in the eyes of other couples, their depiction of ‘fun’ couldn’t remain.

How could they act like a couple _and_ have their idea of fun? Messing about and just being two friends sticking their tongues out like kids?

“See ya tomorrow, Nath!”

Oh, and she didn’t even want to _start_ on Kim’s attempt—or _lack of_ , more appropriately—to answering the questions.

Yeah, she understood he didn’t see her that way _at all_ , but he could at least _make up stuff._ If anything was to drive their charade to ruins, it ought to be that, not merely their behaviour.

A voice came into earshot as she rounded the school’s entrance.

“I guess, I, uh. I―” Kim was saying, “―I feel very happy.”

“Can you elaborate?”

Her skating didn’t slew, but her thoughts did. He sounded a little lost as he spoke to Max in the spot her and him were supposed to meet. She approached them recognising they hadn’t spotted her yet.

“Her, um, will to do things for me makes me very happy because, uh, it shows someone really cares for me?”

Her swelling curiosity set aflame.

“It makes me feel… loved?”

_‘What?’_

“Yes! Alix makes me feel loved!”

Alix, meanwhile, only felt the _concrete._

The ground ascended into her cheek as sharp as her gasp, thoughts tripping like the cause of her spectacle. Her face’s new acrid bed laughed through the sound of skin-shaving gravel against her ear. 

“Alix!”

But the pain was muted by the carrying words.

_‘Alix makes me feel loved.’_

A strong grip embraced her waist, shooting her up, and she blinked away the shocked blur.

“Ugh, let go of me meathead; I’m fine.”

But she didn’t move herself.

And Kim didn’t heed her command.

“Alix, are you alright?!” Max leapt off the bench, voice wide with panic. “You fell pretty hard. What happened?”

Dizziness clung, suddenly thickening, and she held onto Kim. A hand went to wipe the dust off her cheek. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m totally great. Just a kink in the wheel.”

Her source of balance drew his brows in, taking in her appearance. Max fell into position next to him.

“We were just doing some practise questions for your session today.”

She ceased cringing.

Her eyes snapped awake.

“Practise questions?”

_Practise questions._

Practise—oh.

Well, great, she fell for _nothing_.

The adrenaline booted off and she grasped enough consciousness to brush Kim’s hands away.

“For your session this evening.”

 _Of course_ Kim didn’t see her that gross way. She’d _just_ been over this. As much of a relief as it was, shock’s hurl upon her stability wasn’t the nicest – and neither was the premediating bruises’ throbs against her body.

“Right. Good,” she said, and gestured for Kim to follow, narrowly avoiding eye contact. She’d rather not stay in that moment any longer. “Keep them fresh in your mind. We have a class to attend.”

A class where they _knew_ when they were lying during questions.

A class where they now _couldn’t_ mess around.

A class where Kim _wouldn’t_ have to hold her, touch her, or anything.

“Good afternoon couples!” the instructor greeted. “Who’s ready to get physical?!”

Or… _not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha.. so whoops
> 
> Yeah it's late and yeah it's not the best but it's /existent/ and that's all that matters
> 
> (And you guys' reviews are so amusing and heartwarming I love all of you sm uwu)


	7. Physical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'No touching' pff as if

Physical.

_Physical._

No, way-too-chipper-for-Thursday-afternoon instructor Martine did not _just_ mean getting physical _alone_.

This was a Gym _Couple_ Course, after all.

There had to be touching. There had to be joint exercises, and not to mention _help_ with singular exercises, apparently. There _had_ to be touching.

And yet, no matter how many times this, as a _requirement,_ was needled into Alix’s brain—that they needed to play the part—Kim knew as soon as orbs of fire side-eyed him that no,

there would be _no_ touching.

The questions were tense after that epiphany.

Martine had approached the gaggle of awkward and asocial couples five minutes, this time, off schedule as they stretched dutifully on the studio floor, raving about ‘new exercises’ that are _so much better_ to do as a pair since there’s someone to help. Meaning, the fact that the majority in the room were ‘couples’, she wasn’t going to hold back on the physical discomfort.

Everyone nodded and took this information in, some having the gall to smirk playfully at each other like some kinds of _prunes_. Alix, taking in the spectacle of eager, interested, and politely responding individuals amongst the huddle, held her outrage on her tongue, warning Kim with every ounce of _‘no’_ that whatever was happening, _wasn’t_ happening for them.

Nope.

She wouldn’t let it.

But that apparently set an irking or nervousness within Kim, because his knee went erratic against the floor, drilling a lovely, unending noise into the depths of her ear. And _ironically_ , the only way for her to regain her sanity after a painful five minutes—Martine’s speech on the importance of relationship connection not loud enough to work as a blockade—was to set her palm on the upper-end of his loose-fitting tracks.

Touching him.

Kim’s leg didn’t stop.

Thankfully, Martine did, and she pressed onto the interrogation segment. Cross-legged and tense, whatever worries Kim had weren’t identical to the topic of relationship questions and so played out as a distraction to the usual panic that erupted right before their go.

“What do you like best about your relationship?”

Kim and Alix couldn’t discuss conjointly to match their answers while the others’ rolled their responses. Alix sat before him in the cluster and so had to go before he did, and he listened with an ear that could pick information to aid his own answer.

“We motivate each other to be better all the time.” Her voice mimicked confidence, but her eyes traced the vacant space in the circle. She seemed deep in thought but, to the others that couldn’t see through her as easily, looked like she was speaking routinely about a topic she spoke of often. “Our relationship builds us up, and he’s the best person to compete with.”

Kim couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Can I say the same thing?”

“No.”

“Oh, well…” Instinctually, his gaze fluttered to Alix, staring at him with uncertainty as she, like everyone else, sat on wit’s end awaiting his response.

 _‘Answer like you’re in love with her,’_ Max had advised.

He swallowed.

“Having a good connection with someone is really important,” he began, slowly. He checked to see Alix staring at him, and she grinned approvingly. It spurred him and some nervousness dissipated. “Our relationship makes me see so many things differently because of everything she’s taught me since our connection brings us closer, and as Alix said, builds us up. I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things without her.”

Less mechanical, more genuine, and more _heart-warming_.

It was _exactly_ what Martine wanted to hear.

…So much, in fact, she willed him to elaborate with such animated gesticulations, hopeful and entertained as everyone in the circle followed her waiting stare pinned to him.

“Uh…”

_Elaborate?_

His leg started up a rhythm of fast beating again, erratic to the eye and ear all while being a major tell-tale sign of Kim’s uneasiness. It was going so well, but now _everyone_ had their attention on him.

What else was he supposed to say?

_Tap, tap, tap, tap._

Words in his mind tangled and got caught up in each other then never reached his tongue.

The warmth from a palm pressed on his thigh.

Kim turned. Grey eyes, shallowing from the impending stares, met pools of blue; blue that, unlike before, weren’t narrowed in or hiding the notions of annoyance. Her brows were pulled in over wide, assuring eyes, a light smile just below. There was something about how big and full of majesty her gaze was that had Kim staring right back, ceaselessly.

His knee stopped.

“She’s my biggest motivation to be a better person.” He looked right at her. “Not just in competitive activities, but learning to be nicer and more courteous, because all I want to do is treat her right. When I treat her right, I treat others right. Our connection and relationship are the best things to happen to me.”

Alix smiled the whole way.

_Believable._

They were doing it. _Kim_ was doing it. Their false charade began fitting like a glove, and they owned their personas as their original selves in the eyes of the class. They were beginning to be perfect.

Well… Okay. Not _perfect_.

But _believable_.

And maybe they would have retained these immaculate characters the whole session’s duration, if—

“No, back up, don’t touch me.”

— _that_ didn’t happen.

“Alix,” Kim repeated, an irritation like no other gnawing at his capability to not groan in frustration for everyone to hear, “we have to. For the _exercise._ ”

“That’s nice for the couples who need help from each other.” She attempted the stretch again, unsuccessful, flaunting her prudery at his hesitant hands. “I don’t need help.”

“You need help.”

“I _don’t._ ”

Alix tripped then.

“You know,” Kim goaded as he watched her flail upright, arms crossed and away from her, “you deserved that.”

She did, yeah. But she’d never admit that.

“Just be my catcher then.” Pink hair hovered over her tipped self. The instructor proved that the motion had been designed for another to assist the process, no one capable of performing it alone, but that wouldn’t stop Alix from avoiding his cranberry juiced fingers (after a mishap with his juice carton on the way there) from gripping her waist for balance. “And watch. Over there.”

“Watch you fail, you mean.”

She lost footing again.

“Fine!” At last—and _only_ to shut the snickering meathead up, she’d argue—Alix instructed him to come to her side. “Help, if you’re that bored you can only laugh at me.”

Kim approached behind her and held his grip to her waist. “Laughing at you isn’t boring at all.”

She rolled her eyes at that.

His embodiment of her stability as she, along with the other smaller ones of the pairs, had to complete the balance and stretching exercises, wasn’t… _revolting_. And Kim himself couldn’t believe how much he _wasn’t_ yelled at—maybe two or three times for holding too high or too low or something like that. The moments went quite fast with how Alix used everything in her power to accomplish the positions so Kim didn’t have to hold her for so long.

But then it was the wall-less sit.

The instructor had a couple with similar heights poise in formation before everyone, both laughing as they struggled to understand Martine’s verbal instructions. Squatted to be sitting without a chair, they tipped and chuckled as they tried to hold with great grip the other’s hands.

Alix and Kim glanced hesitantly.

“Make your cores firm. Ground yourself and your significant other as you help them. You both need to have the strength to not let go of each other to last longer.”

“What is this, a metaphorical lesson?” Alix snarked as she crouched to pose, offering her palms out for Kim as he laughed in agreement. He wobbled a bit and tried to fix himself. “Sweetheart, you’re doing it wrong.”

The name slipped.

And she would take it to her grave that the only reason it did was because of how in-character she was, not because—not because of _anything_ else. But she could own the fact it was _unexpected_ , at least.

As clearly presented, by the expansion of Kim’s face.

“Sweetheart?”

She cringed. Hearing it from him, it hurt almost as much as the ‘ _Sugar plum’._

The whole ‘nickname’ thing didn’t sit well in her stomach.

“Yes,” she said fixedly, disgust unthreading from the lines of her face when deciding to own the name. “Your feet aren’t right. Square them more – you’re not a frog, Babe.”

Alix could almost say Kim looked disappointed as he firmed his stance, squatting more appropriately.

Their hands latched.

“Is this right?”

“It’s better.”

The height difference made it quite awkward-seeming, but the point was, that as they connected grips to brace each other, trodden in chair-less sitting positions—Alix’s lightly scraped knees opening from her absolute Marinette-move earlier—everyone could see just what a lovely, stable, _legitimate_ , and—

Kim lost footing, tipping sideways, backwards, and finally,

_Down._

On his back, and with Alix’s needed stability still placed in the hold of his falling hands, she too went, well,

_Down._

Onto _him._

Their spectacle wasn’t much considering the other couples who had done the same thing already, but with Alix’s scrunched and confused face on his chest and legs between his, if Kim didn’t think quickly, she was going _make_ it into something a little bit _more._

“You can’t look repulsed,” he hastened, whispering right into her ear. “Remember we’re dating. This should be nothing.”

Her shoulders stiffened, and her hands—palming the ground in preparation to rise—didn’t know what to do now. Alix’s eyes undid and met Kim’s directly. He had panic splattered and worry in his brow. Glancing around, Alix thought fast herself.

“I’m going to help you up.” She writhed a little upwards, saying nothing more, until she stood off him and extended a hand as he sat up.

Kim went for it with a grin on his face.

“Ahh _–AH!”_

Alix went _forward_ with a yelp in her throat—

Landing right back into Kim’s lap.

Her eyes fixed on him with revulsion, a little irritation, but most rewardingly,

she glared with a _smile._

“Hey, Violet.”

“Violet?”

He shrugged. Alix smiled wider.

“Yeah, it works.”

Right, so _maybe_ the ‘couple’ thing wasn’t _as_ hard to act out as they thought – they just had to do it in their own, playful way.

“Now help me up, Meathead.”

They laughed for the rest of the class.


	8. You’d both look nice together for real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boys have a chat. Adrien just wants a nap. Like, that's it.

The akuma late Sunday afternoon wasn’t, for once, a disturbance to the boys of Miss Bustier’s class.

Kim’s friends were splattered up the stairs as he lay on the cool concrete at their feet, arms crossed behind his head and apple sitting in his palm, mouth chewing. The paleness of clouds loomed above him and fuelled his daydreaming thoughts. The news alert Max had previously read out about the _Infiltrator_ recently defeated at the other side of Paris fell from his mind in moments, and to everyone’s surprise, Adrien joined soon after claiming he had managed to sneak out to hang.

It had been a while since they had met-up at Trocadéro since the girls usually dibbed the spot, but somehow, Nino had made the area easily accessible for the gaggle to moan and lament about upcoming work-loads.

“See, this whole Chemistry thing is a scam. I swear it’s all _Math_ ,” one voice in ear-shot was saying. “Like, what a lie! _Two_ Maths? Are you serious?”

Kim never understood why his friends _still_ liked conversing about school when they obviously were not _in_ school, but as long as they didn’t nudge him during nice, thought organising times, he was cool with them rambling.

He took another bite of apple, lids heavy but grey eyes still entertained by the sky. Nathaniel’s pencil scratched near his ear and Nino, Max and Ivan’s voices carried above the staircase. Adrien obviously got bored with the topic because soon another figure joined Kim’s lying position beside him.

Wordless, he peered at the white shapes and mirrored his friend’s pose, expression out of Kim’s sight. 

“So, you’re in love with Alix?”

Kim’s eyes rounded.

Thoughts screeching, Adrien may as well have turned into _Chat Noir_ right there and then to achieve the same surprise on Kim’s face.

“Uh—”

“The Gym-thing?”

It clicked, albeit slowly considering how aloof to reality he’d been.

‘The Gym-thing’.

Ha, _that._

Not like he wasn’t _just_ thinking about it or anything, or about their lesson Thursday when he succeeded the questions (almost) flawlessly and she had looked at him so softly and _proud_ all through them _._ Nor was he thinking about the way he pulled her into his lap and she couldn’t help but _not_ be mad as her mouth unwillingly escaped the smothered laughter when he helped her up for real.

At all.

(So _excuse_ his resting heart from jolting up his throat when Adrien mentioned exactly that.)

“Yeah,” Kim croaked around a mouthful of fruit, “fake-dating, though.”

“Oh.”

A disappointed tone sat in Adrien’s word. 

Kim turned his head with befuddlement, jaw crunching the apple. “You didn’t know?”

“Well, I mean, I was a bit shocked when I heard, but I didn’t piece together that it was fake.”

He licked moisture of his lips. The thought that his own classmates and friends could or _were_ under the impression that Alix was his _real_ girlfriend had Kim studying the sky again, an inscrutable feeling stirring – probably confusion. It was usually just confusion.

Kim off-handedly explained their whole situation – why they both were in on it, conditions, the shoes he wanted to save up etc., taking breaks to bite his apple between sentences, and Adrien’s blond mop of hair in his peripheral nodded with each clause.

“So you both get along well then?”

His mouth opened. Then shut.

“Uh—”

He thought for a moment.

“We’ve always been good friends. Bickering is fun for us.”

“Huh,” Adrien said like it was a new concept to him. “Well, I think you both would be a cute couple, anyway.”

A fruit chunk lodged in his windpipe and strangled Kim as he hauled forward, coughing his lungs out, and cuffing his throat with pain as the other boys stared startled.

“Kim! Are you okay?!”

He really should have been asking _Adrien_ that.

“I’m—” he rasped. “Yes, I’m good. I’m— Wait, me and _Alix?”_

He sat up, voice small and green stare darting anywhere but him. “Oh! Uh—No! Of course not!”

Kim’s jaw was unhinged, and his mouth full of silence seemed to pressure Adrien into telling the truth without him having to move.

His head tipped in shame. “Okay, yeah… Sorry if I offended you! I just thought you’d both look nice together for real.”

Paralysis had merged into Kim’s embodiment of shock, holding stagnant his appearance of absolute disbelief aimed right at Adrien. His apple lay limp and now all boys were sporting looks of curiosity, confusion, and concern.

“Yo, did you say Alix and Kim, dude?” Nino hunched forward, headphones overhanging his chest. “Dating for _real?_ Imagine that! That’d be one crazy relationship.”

For some reason, that irked Kim into swivelling to face up the stairs. “What do you mean?”

His voice travelled darker than intended.

“By ‘crazy’ he refers to the chaos and playful bickering that would increase. He means that you both are so boisterous and challenging the relationship seldom would lack romance and own more competitions than you both do usually,” Max supplied.

Kim’s brows threaded. “And what’s wrong with that?”

“I think it’d let them have more fun,” Adrien offered, lying back again as a frown touched his appearance.

“Don’t worry, dude. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Nino backed up with waving hands, seeking help from Ivan to his side, grin stretched so far and forced he almost looked constipated. “Uh, right?”

Ivan cast a thoughtful look to overseeing birds, sewing needle still weaving through the toy in his lap. As far as Kim knew, Ivan liked to mend his girlfriend’s little sister’s dolls since Marinette had so much on her plate and Ivan enjoyed the practice – How he could use such a meticulous object that required so much patience, Kim _didn’t_ know. “Mylène and I have fun sometimes.”

“See!”

Kim stared disbelieving at Nino.

“We go on climate change protests, and… sit and cuddle?” he tried. “And we cook dairy-free brownies together, I guess.”

Max chewed his sandwich cryptically, hiding the grin. “Too bad Kim’s scared of veganism.”

The last of his apple knocked his best friend’s forehead.

Nathaniel grimaced as it almost fell onto his sketch, but it had him finally looking up through a red fringe. “Do you all think Alix and Kim would be a good match together?”

They glanced awkwardly.

“Uh—”

“I mean—”

“I think it’s more—”

“Yes.”

Once again, everyone’s eyes were on Adrien.

“They don’t _have_ to be too romantic to be a couple. Their challenges and stuff are their own kind of love. Sometimes laughter and jokes are enough. And trust.”

Silence dumped itself.

Thoughtful expressions—even ones of realisation and _agreement_ —captivated and were exchanged by the boys, though still faint with shock, yet deep and nonverbally conversing. Kim tried to be surprised but then again, this _was_ Adrien and he could probably see romance in dental ads.

“Hey, uh,” he chose to intrude before anyone could make mouth-retching coos, “I think we’re forgetting Alix and I aren’t _actually_ dating.”

No one but Kim caught the almost existent-in-volume scoff from Nathaniel.

Nino dragged his baffled attention away before his mind could erupt questions. “Right, right, yeah, but—” he firmed his cap, “—I’ve heard you’re not _really_ fake dating, are you bro?”

A brow rose.

“Alix told the girls you both don’t have to do too much, or something like that. No making out and stuff.”

He blinked, Nathaniel near him swivelling on the concrete, pencil lowered.

“She said that?”

Nino shrugged.

“What else did she say?”

“I don’t know, man.” He gripped his hat. “Alya talks a lot.”

Kim shrunk and pressed his back to the staircase’s wall as Adrien opened an eye and closed it again. He stewed, tilting his head, not as much curious as he was confused by, well, everything discussed, and he faced Ivan questioningly.

“Mylène doesn’t tell me stuff like that.” His friend scowled at the stubborn thread caught on the doll’s limb. “But I don’t think Alix hates the experience, when she mentioned it to me.”

The jock released a breath he didn’t know had been pending.

He looked at Alix’s good friend.

“I don’t go to the girl catch-ups!” Nate’s HB fell by surrendered hands. “I don’t know what you want to know!”

Kim dropped his gaze and sat with crossed-legs.

He didn’t know what he wanted to know either.

Maybe just an assurance that Alix wasn’t thinking he was going too far or being too slack, or even if she regretted her decision of agreement. Anything would be a help really to get a better understanding of how he was supposed to treat her during their act.

Curiosity thickened too when he discovered Alix had conversed with her friends about the exchange. Like, _of course_ she would, but for some reason he wanted to know what she said and how she said it. Was it casual? Was it like speaking about nothing? Did she sound annoyed? Was she embarrassed? Did she explain it like a chore or an enjoyment?

Kim apologised to Nathaniel quietly and reached for the discarded apple core. Above all that, there was one thing that lumped in his stomach and had him wriggling unsurely.

He peered at the model laying with tired eyes.

_‘You’d both look nice together for real.’_

Head shaking, he opted to ignore the silence and fiddle with his shoelaces. Dating Alix for real would be gross, an abomination, and a _mess_ —

Nino picked up another topic of dialogue as though nothing had ever happened. Adrien didn’t have energy to join and they rest talked animatedly bar Max, who viewed Kim from four steps up with pitying eyes.

—Yeah, a _mess,_ as the guys inferred.

Hanging out with her more was nice, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept writing until then I had no room for quality plot *shrugs* oh well


	9. Game On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I worked far too much on this chapter (a little too long in word-count as well sorry) but at least I love it

“And what do we both like?”

“Doing challenges, Nerf gun fights, and annoying Max.”

Alix tapped her wrist guards to her forehead hoping the pain would distract from the kind that came from his idiocy always seeming to be a poison to her braincells. “Romantic, Kim. _Romantic._ ” She spun and glared into her locker, sighing. “We can’t say our most enjoyed activity together is switching Max’s USBs with ten-hour flossing videos and watching him shriek in class.”

His grin opened to speak.

“ _Or_ hiding in boxes when he tries to look for odds-and-ends for new projects in the janitors’ closets whispering, ‘it’s free real estate’,” she cut him off with amusement clipping her throat, and they shared a moment of laughter as they remembered how Max spoke to himself trying to use science logic to explain the ‘ghosts’ in efforts to be less scared. Their punishment was the lack of help on their Chemistry test study the week after.

His shoes smacked against the sticky floor. “What about we say we go swimming together sometimes?”

Her nose did that scrunching thing he was beginning to notice she did quite often, disgust smoothing her lips when she turned back. She lent her weight on the lockers to let Rose leap excitedly past – why she was excited 24/7? Everyone stopped questioning in Elementary soon. “Don’t turn our fake relationship into you and Ondine.”

Kim hit her with a glare. “We never had a relationship.”

“Oh yes,” her eyes rolled, “you just went on romantic dates while full-knowing she was in love with you.”

“Hey—” two classmates walked through them quick, heads low, as Kim writhed up on the bench, “—she was not ‘in love’ with me – she _thought_ she was in love with me. How could she, anyway?” He quietened a bit. “We only saw each other at the pool. At least, to say Ondine loved me is going a bit far. She may have been infatuated. There’s a big difference.”

“She loved you,” she said dryly.

“ _Liked_ me.”

Alix’s brows threaded. “And you liked her back.”

“I—” Kim’s mouth tipped, and he suddenly sunk on his seat. “We’re getting distracted.”

“Fine. What if we go rollerblading together on weekends or something?”

A locker’s clash resonated and the sharp zipper sounds signified more classmates’ departures. Kim leant forward, strong arms folded across his chest and shoulders squared in a posture that might’ve been intimidating to anyone but her.

“What!? But we can’t say we go swimming? That’s the same thing!”

Alix’s shoulders went ridged. “Wh— _No!_ No it’s not.”

“Yes it is!”

She firmed her jaw, hitting her head back on the metal storage unit as the sound reflected the raucous volume of their argument. Max and Nathaniel, the only others left present in the room, shared an unlikely look of understanding as they packed their things and darted out.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t know how to skate.”

Kim’s eyes were deeply grey and narrowed. “ _You’re_ just saying that because you don’t know how to swim.”

The locker room bathed in an eerie stillness.

Their duel sat in a stalemate, unruly realisation and incertitude clasping their mouths from spitting back anything immediately.

“I—I can swim!”

“And I can skate!”

No they couldn’t.

And they both knew they couldn’t.

Alix reached into her locker and threw down her bag. “Did Max have anything down on that list thing that can help us figure out what we do for dates?”

He rummaged his pockets (yes, he kept it on hand) and whipped out the paper. Some inky scribbles had been entirely neglected by a glimpse the first skim-through, such as the ones about going on walks and pretending they were dating in public to get into character, then even worse, the minimised bullets beneath listing the certain… gestures, they could perform during their ‘dates’ – but besides the horror of _those,_ nothing else inspired places or activities they could lie about.

He creased it and ran his thumb along the damages from safekeeping. “No… we have to use our brains.”

Alix’s extent of ‘brain’ only felt the needling from smacked wrist guards to her head, again. “What brains? We’re totally stuffed.”

He tapped his forefinger to his lips. “What about… food?”

“Food?”

He shrugged. “I like food.”

She drew her blades from her bag and set them beside her feet. “We can say we go to Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie sometimes. Oh! And that we’re on the lacrosse team together?”

“Is that enough to say?” he countered. “That doesn’t sound too romantic. Max suggested we hug as well after a session in front of everyone.”

She pulled a face. “Ugh, I’m not hugging any mountain of sweat after gym.”

He ran a hand through his quiff, sluggish on the bench. “Whatever,” he sighed. “But we still need romantic gestures – acts, demonstrations of—”

“The dumb physical affection junk.” She got it. She rolled her eyes. They had to do more than occasionally punching each other’s arm for making a joke. “We’re not doing enough compared to the other couples who can’t keep their hands off each other. And if we don’t hug each other because of sweat then what’s left to…”

She gave him a speculative glance—no, his mouth. The look was like a nudge, a little string that tugged his gaze down to her own lips. Soft. Her lips looked so soft and a bit beaten where she might have fallen skating or picked them.

Their eyes met. Warmth surged across his cheeks, and a colour like her hair dusted hers. They flashed gazes to opposite directions.

"Uh." Kim cleared his throat. "We don’t have to think about that now. We’re speaking about our dating life today, and we still haven’t got one.”

Alix wanted to spin and screech into her locker. Fake-dating should _not_ require this much creativity. They didn’t even have to _do_ any of it, just _say_ they did. She pressed her mind for more ideas, inserting a piece of gum to her mouth and offering Kim one. They mulled over romance, love, cuteness, their chews breaking the silence of the otherwise empty locker room, and uncovered nothing.

The expression of saccharine exchanges and cliché in-love teenager interactions were like bricks in their throat unable to reach air; poisonous to their mind. The gross and lovey-dovey concepts were by both needlessly avoided and gagged at in any other circumstance. Now not only did they have to suggest ideas of the intolerable, but they had to suggest that they had once done them _together_ , to other _people_ ; people that could ‘relate’ to their false proclamations and had done _worse._

Their time of discussion began thinning out. While niggling her mind to work—to think of anything she could say they have done without retching—Alix completely forgot about the blades she needed to strap to her feet before they headed off.

Kim noticed.

“Here,” he offered suddenly, slinging the bag beneath the long steel bench out and over his shoulder as he bent. Her internal lamenting hiccupped as she glanced down to small pink shoelaces being untied by his large hands.

Alix’s jaw unhinged and slowly picked up strength back into place as he loosened them, arms crossed while leaning on metal compartments. “What are you doing?”

“Putting your blades on.”

“I can put my blades on myself,” she said, and against her words she lifted her feet from the chequered sneakers as he pried them off.

Kim unstrapped her rollerblades and steadied one for her to wriggle into. “We’re gonna be late.”

Alix scoffed, doing exactly as his gestures told her, inserting her other foot into the wheeled shoe. “Our instructors are never on time.”

“But we have to be!” His voice was classic Kim; excited and eager to be fast. He spoke in the certain way a lot more during their early high school years with that signature grin Alix always felt riled by for its promise of competition. His movements were quick but careful as he tightened the black and lime-rimmed fastenings of the blades to secure her feet. She was gifted a view of his hair below her nose in immaculate clarity and she surveyed his technique, startled eyes following the quiff when he stood. “Let’s go! Also, I’m carrying your bag to look like a better boyfriend.”

She snapped from her stupor. “And me a lazy girlfriend.”

“Exactly.” Kim tossed a wink, hauling her pastel bag on his other shoulder, beaming wildly. “Come on Violet, can’t have the others thinking we’re late because we can’t keep our hands off each other.”

Face hot, Alix shoved him out the threshold as he tripped with laughter.

* * *

Talia, as expected, hurried through the door clad in gym clothes six minutes after they were told to arrive.

None of the couples minded this time since they’d finally warmed up to each other, fixing themselves in conversations about work or assignments or favourite plant types (yes, seriously) – Alix and Kim were, admittedly, not the best at finding friends, and they preferred to keep it that way after eavesdropping on the… _interesting_ topics, namely about _relationships_ , and things the couples _did_ together that popped up.

It was much, much more preferable to avoid the in-depth talks about how everyone met and, amongst teenagers, the best points in Paris for ‘seclusion’ and the wildest times sneaking off at school. You would think Kim had been clutched by a ghost when overhearing the scandal at the local pool ‘no one found out about’. Alix had gaped and snickered until he warranted silence by ruffling her hair up.

They had sauntered in two meters apart, eyeing buddying couples brushing shoulders and squeezing hands (the course seemed to be working for them) – but at least Kim made the two bags he was carrying obvious. Especially when he basket-balled hers onto the bench beside the Springwater then safely placed his.

Talia instructed to continue the chatter as she set the back-sound Bluetooth up for upcoming stretches. The devious duo were outsiders to the gaggle of pairs.

“Max said we should make friends.” Kim thrust his hands into pockets, remembering the list, the atmosphere awkwardly thick as it inundated them. He wondered about the aircons and if they were enough this lesson to keep them from changing into gym clothes like the three lava-blooded people, or if the sweat would still be minimal. Thinking about it, he’d never seen Alix in proper sports-wear.

“Max also said we shouldn’t climb the Eiffel Tower barefoot.”

He blinked, turning. “But we did try to climb the Eiffel Tower barefoot?”

She squinted at him incredulous to his stupidity. “Exactly, Meathead.”

Someone glimpsed at them. They froze up. Alix forced herself to think quick.

Think quick, she did,

Think _good,_ she did not.

“Uh—My—Um, my handsome meathead?” Her entire face crumpled with mortification. Immediately, she wished to grab the words back and burn them with the heat of her cheeks. Kim honed his look of horror as she ‘recovered’ with a muttered, “Love you…?”

That—

That wasn’t meant to happen.

The tan boy faced around, slinging an arm over his girlfriend – like anything he’d witnessed never happened.

The fist compelled to Kim’s mouth to oppress his hilarity reminded her otherwise.

“Shut up!” It was not a squeak, alright? Alix had both dignity and composure and not one shimmer of warmth in her face as spoke in admonishment. “You didn’t even help!”

Kim— Oh man, Kim was in _hysterics._ The silent kind that gripped one and chained even the quietest of wheezes, only laugh-punches and closed, teary eyes were permitted, having Kim hauled over almost, hand binding any sounds of his mouth, and he had to clip the other to her shoulder to make sure he didn’t just about _die._ It only became funnier forcing himself not to make a display.

She thinned cold eyes at his silent wheezing. His amusement was hidden to detract any attention from others, but Alix decided she’d seen enough of it anyway.

Kim didn’t even flinch at the jab to his arm.

“ _You—”_ A few snickers escaped then, his body hunching further. “—Handsome meathead? Are you _for real?_ ”

Alix side-glanced. No one was looking; she couldn’t use that as an excuse to shut him up. His words were like whispers, too.

“I—I _can’t_. There was no way _I_ could’ve helped _that_.” She didn’t even push away when he rested his head on her shoulder, body shaking with chuckles, instead withering at absolutely anything and everything. “B-Because, _I’m_ the bad one at improv during open-up time with the questions. _Pfft.”_

Alix snapped.

A hand latched to his collar and dragged his face down. Kim found his moisture-framed gaze enrapturing impossibly big blue pits of death, and it took him a recomposing few moments to realise the largeness was a product of him and Alix’s distance – or _lack_ thereof.

They were levelled, eye to eye, glare to shock.

Her fist in his shirt-hood, a hairsbreadth away, fire to ice.

Kim definitely shut up.

“ _Sweetheart_.”

The word had the aura of a hiss, but it sure didn’t come out like one. It danced on Kim’s face and most of the warmth touched his lips. Nothing secured her satisfaction more than the outward pallor that descended his contours. 

Wait, his lips.

They were close. _Too_ close. Kim didn’t move— _couldn’t_ move, she realised delightfully—and his eyes still had moist lines of mirth.

She ripped him closer.

Their mouths were less than an inch now. Alix made sure to breathe out of hers, hot, heavy, and threateningly. Kim stared at the snarling lips the way he did it the locker room, pensive this time, but curious all the same.

That’s when Alix noticed the small crowd.

Her heart plummeted.

Three or four people were swivelled their way, eyeing the tension of their standoff.

An epiphany on what she had to do then almost knocked her out cold.

She noticed, in an observatory sense, that their positions could be considered quite evocative to the innocent bystander. She noticed, in an environment of starry-eyed moments and romance, their distance would imply only something obvious. She noticed, that even if the intentions of her plan limited only to their share of space to shake him up a bit, that onlookers wouldn’t capacitate that assumption. She noticed, pain-inducingly, that she had only one, unthinkable option to convince them this was a couple-interaction, and not a way to scare her gym partner stiff—

“Who’s ready for some stretches?!”

—Unless an external force intruded.

When the few snapped their heads to the sound, Alix used her grip to hurl the paralysed figure into a stumble, Kim barely catching footing at the last moments.

She filled her lungs heavily. Her heart tossed back into place, galloping hard enough for a hand to rest on her chest, the organ rapid for so many reasons; namely, the preparation and acceptance that indulged her the second after the horror of the realisation dried out.

Alix cooled her breathing and wished the same would happen for her cheeks. Even as she headed to the black-panelled walls, she did so shooting a look behind, meeting Kim—beat red, finger on his lip, struggling for composure—with a smirk; a smirk drenched in the haze of warning.

She knew exactly what she’d just done, and sue her for feeling impossibly proud of herself for daring to do it.

She had a way to silence him now. Whenever she wanted.

And by _goodness_ she wouldn’t let this power go to waste.

“I told you to shut up.”

Her sultry whisper carried unto his red-tipped ears.

Challenge. Deviousness. A _game_.

A game.

A game meant competition.

And a competition meant more than one side.

‘ _A game,’_ Kim realised, finally blinking the dried stare as pink hair bounced ahead, ‘ _I can do those.’_

He straightened his shoulders, suddenly smitten with smugness, wide-grin alone not enough to describe to the eye the extent of his new confidence; new _eagerness_ , excitement, and more.

‘ _Game on, sugar plum.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Game is such a weird word I can't stop thinking about it


	10. Dating?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please Kim just stop opening your mouth

Stretches went well.

Questions went _not_ well.

Relatively, that is; in fact neither had ever behaved more calm and stress-free as the curt queries rolled past since their preparation at least built them to be more comfortable when talking orally about these things, and Max’s practise questions linked to Tuesday’s theme ‘dates’ enough that Kim and Alix just had to speak on retention of their conversations leading to the locker room.

They both recovered from the earlier surrealism in a heartbeat—before with bodies leaning too close, when Alix’s breath laced the soft skin of his lips, when the heat of the moment traversed up Kim’s cells and scaped across every inch of his body—and could safely look into each other’s eyes without awkwardness.

Only determination.

Back to usual.

Their answers flew with confidence. How dates increase their connection, how spending time together is important, how you shouldn’t place relationships before friends continually – easy.

What those dates _were_ ,

“We– uh.”

 _Not_ easy.

“Sometimes we go Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.” Alix swallowed, pulling a tight smile that begged for responses of belief.

Beside her, Kim captured every expression to memory noting whether their words were enough to them and who they had to really convince – even convince later, or put on a small public display near them strategically. Few couples in the sessions still found them repulsive and that they lacked the seriousness to take part, or something, and Kim and Alix knew they couldn’t take any chances.

Kim eyed the passive faces. To him, it was as if staring would somehow drill convincing magic into their minds and he’d be graced with accepting nods.

“We also hang out after lacrosse since we’re on the same team.”

The discussion was open, so it wasn’t Talia who had styled auburn hair drape forward with a curious lean, but a girl their age. “Where do you hang out?”

Her boyfriend, similar in build to Kim, squared his shoulders and looked at the startlement enticed to the pair’s faces. “We’re on the same sports team at school, too. Going somewhere would be nice afterwards.”

His voice was friendly and soft, but couldn’t be received more harshly to Alix’s ears. Their body’s tandem freezing reactions were intrinsically timed to the way their hearts pitted in their stomachs.

They had nowhere else—mutually agreed on—to say.

A haste glimpse at each other.

Brain in a loop, Kim’s big fat mouth opened on no one’s (even his own, he’d argue) consent.

“We go to… the pool.”

_The pool._

“Swimming.”

_To swim._

Alix may as well have seen her heirloom smash to the floor.

In the ring of nodding faces—finally accepting them; their lies; obviously liking his answer very much more than _either_ Kim or Alix—she fought to register his unfathomable choice of speech, and once she did—

“We both also go rollerblading.”

—She cast a look worth a thousand knives and blurted out an equally as daunting lie, not realising the consequences, and only paying to mind the flinch in Kim’s body that curled his fingers over shorts. 

They both side-eyed glares.

“That sounds so fun! Us four should all go sometime on a double-date.”

A millisecond was all it took for their brains to crash.

“Yeah!”

“Definitely!”

And in crash mode, neither were able to control their idiotically polite reactions.

Well, great.

Kim could barely think through the rest of everyone’s answers as they all exchanged ideas and placed meetups with the established friendships. Apparently, they were going to follow Max’s ‘making friends’ advice anyway, even if they had no intention to.

He’d stuffed up. He knew the moment it poured from his mouth like a broken dam, eyes blown and brain racking words, that he’d stuffed up.

But when Alix countered with his punishment of ‘rollerblading’, he knew she had stuffed up too.

It wasn’t just him who knew.

“We are total _idiots._ ” It was no more than a whisper, a thin needle to his side as both teens scarcely puffed on the treadmills. The last ‘treadhill’ activity wasn’t employed, but that wasn’t the only reason their speeds and inclines had dropped significantly since. Side by side, they brooded, and fell victim to the ongoing admonishments their brains respectively supplied. “Why did you have to say _swimming_?”

“Why did you have to say skating?” he tossed, already knowing the answer as he pinned eyes to his sweatbands.

“Because you said swimming!”

Their feet lugged on the treadmill belts. Couples were sprawled on all types of equipment and machinery around, puffing and laughing.

“Oh man, I barely know how to skate…”

Pink hair bounced in his peripheral, a colour of blue aimed at him. “I thought you said you did.”

He hit her with a look.

“So you know how to swim, then?”

Alix avoided eye contact just as fast.

“Whatever. We’re both liars.” Kim didn’t know if her breath was a sigh or a product of exhaustion. “I can’t lap-swim at all. It’s so different to the beach. I’m so bad…”

Kim’s spine fixed, no longer hunched, now an image reminiscent to when a dog perks their ears up.

“I can teach you!”

Low-lidded eyes trailed to him.

“I’m sure I can before we schedule something with José and Estelle. Sometimes I teach little kids when they come in.”

Gentleness dripped off her face and it hardened into a mask of offence. “Who are you calling a little kid?”

He paled.

“Uh—No! Not you, Alix. I mean,” he fumbled on the treadmill, avoiding her daggers, “I’m qualified? I guess. The parents and pool workers really love when I help out.”

She pressed her lips. Kim didn’t retract sight as Alix only stared at her monitor, thoughtful. Her patterned sleeves were rolled to elbows and wisps of pink limped over lowered orbs of blue. Their synced steps beat over the pensiveness.

“Yeah, I guess we’d have to.” She finally raised her head. “But you _need_ to learn how to skate then. Because we can’t go on a double-skate-date with you falling face-first all the time.”

Kim’s voice was shallow and served through a tugged lip. “At least I don’t fall on a treadmill.”

If the machine below could follow her thoughts, the belt would’ve halted, Alix’s unmoving body revolving to him – maybe he would find himself pinned to the ground with a chequered sneaker in his cheek. But because it wasn’t, and they were in a public setting with impressionable couples surrounding, instead poisonous pools sliced his way as lumpish footsteps continued roughly. The effects were enough to inject a satisfying adrenaline pump through him and chill his veins with fear at the same time.

He was pretty sure Alix wouldn’t have hesitated punching him if even one less person was around.

Teeth gritted, her voice still delivered calmly, “You’re getting it later.”

The neighbouring treadmill pair, ocean deep in blissful chatter, had elected that _exact_ moment to tune in. The accustomed background sounds quietened, and Kim and Alix glimpsed at what could have randomly silenced. The couple had sprouted sheepish smirks towards each other like they’d heard some inappropriate—

Hold on.

Wait.

Hold on…

A cringe caressed Alix’s spine.

_‘Oh.’_

Ew…

Kim picked up on the inferred meaning, having the audacity to actually _chuckle,_ puff his chest, and completely _curse_ her with,

“Whatever you say, babe.” Her mouth peaked. “I’m yours to punish.”

Yeah, as if Alix couldn’t physically want to shove him off the treadmill in suffering any _more._

Honestly. Who gave him rights to his mouth? Both, together, were way too much trouble.

Her heart wanted to cripple at the crude insinuations, but she wouldn’t dare display her disgust so openly and give Kim that satisfaction – she technically was cringing quite a bit, yet refixed her outward emotions when he beamed back at her after slyly eyeing the neighbours’ reactions. So instead, two faces of smirks met.

Technically, they _were_ supposed to flirt; supposed to act… gross. So she wouldn’t _dare_ let herself get flustered or riled if Kim had anything to say about it. It was almost like the game now was how uncomfortable one could make the other.

“You bet you are, hot stuff.”

By the rush of colour to his cheeks, Alix declared she won that round.

* * *

“We have lacrosse Wednesdays. We’re going… rollerblading next week afterwards.”

Kim knew he shouldn’t have let Alix lead the conversation the moment she opened that snarky mouth of hers. Now he was stuck with just over a week to learn how to skate, two new friends or something, and an upcoming investment on band-aids, most likely.

“Sweet! We have sport after school the same day. An evening skate would be so cool. We’ll meet you at the Trocadéro at five?”

“Awesome.”

Kim blinked at his fake-girlfriend, a disapproving pull to his frown.

“Seriously?”

Alix bagged her water bottle and slipped the carrier on her shoulder. “Why not?”

He huffed, gazing at José and Estelle climbing the stairs back to the cheaper placement.

“How are you supposed to teach me how to skate that soon?”

“Easy,” his shorter friend shrugged. “More quality time together.”

Kim withered at the way she snickered through an over-exasperated smile. Earlier, they should have spoken about these things more instead of battling who could do the most chin-ups (he won, but only because Alix obeyed Martine’s signal that class was over, which totally didn’t mean anything in retrospect). 

More pairs packed their gear around the two. Kim’s focus wasn’t remotely on his belongings. “This is about you being scared of swimming, right?”

The fake-smile dropped.

“What?” Her stare narrowed and her mouth reflected shock. “I’m not— Me? Scared?”

“Yes, _you,_ ” he said, purposefully weighing his body down to smirk a few inches from her indignant expression. The familiar atmosphere warmed him like a blanket. “You’re scared.”

“Am not!”

“Am _too_.”

Her hair was ruffled from the previous exertion as it fell above her nose, so adorably scrunched – adorable only because it proved power to how effortlessly he could disturb her; adorable as a sign of weakness; of _losing._

He recognised her twitched-up snarl with great delight. “Then why’d you say blading?”

“Because I like blading!”

Kim clicked his tongue, eyes rolled, still retaining their competitive distance. These were tensions better than before the lesson; ones he knew how to handle, control, and balance against nerves. “Not because you’re nervous about learning how to swim with technique and being bad at it?”

“I—!”

But she didn’t finish, brows only tugged tighter, mouth parted and snarl freezing. He knew he caught her.

Alix simmered down quaintly. “No. That’s—” She puffed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, whatever. I just don’t like it.”

“Ha!”

She waved the distance between them. “I said I just don’t like it. Now get out of my face.”

“Wait—” Kim grappled for his bag, catching up to her as she powerwalked to the stairs. He ignored his thirst and bolted past the spring water station to haul himself with the railing to step in front of her, blocking the path. “You’re serious? You’re that nervous about it?”

“I don’t really care at the moment,” she said sourly, vision darting to the too-close others below as she recovered with, “ _sweetheart,_ now move.”

He moved, backwards, treading the last few steps – but not out of her way. “It’s just swimming if you think about it.” Like a whole other persona, Kim spoke consolingly as he ceased her actions to try and get through. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. I can assure you it’s easy when you pick it up!

Alix sighed. At times like this, she didn’t understand how Kim could switch from a goading, rival-like friend who pinched fun at playful and insulting arguments to an enthusiastic, supportive and _childlike_ character, that, honestly, felt too comforting to be the same person as her punching bag. She shook it off and kept trying to sidestep him.

“And you’re a really fast learner! You don’t have to be scared at all!”

He obviously took her shy evading as someone who felt unsettled by the thought of swimming, but the most Alix would admit to is just wanting to get past and dodge such a conversation.

“Alix, look at me.”

Beside the front doorway, the moment she had opportunity to dart past him, she stiffened at the way he said her name.

Shaded, avoidant eyes touched assuring greys.

“You can be nervous at first, if you need. Because then you’ll feel more awesome once you’re not afraid anymore.”

Their stares were like magnets to each other.

Alix didn’t flinch. “That sounds too wise coming from you.”

Kim laughed, the sound warm.

The French doors’ illume framed his poised figure, so tall and boxy compared to hers. The way he down to her… The way he looked now in general… Not different, but she hadn’t analysed it much before, and that swelled her interest. As tough and toned as he appeared, Alix swore he couldn’t appear so impossibly gentle—or _caring_ more appropriately—right then that she couldn’t pry her curious, unblinking stare from the contrasting sight. The irregularity of this side of him towards her had her rigid in place.

“Just don’t worry that much, okay?” His smile was soft, too. “You’ve given us more time to learn. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

Alix would argue it was the nearby couples trampling through the gym and the role she had to put on for them that pushed her into Kim’s firm body, arms strapping and embracing him dearly – It had nothing to do with the moment, and how disgustingly heart-warming it made her feel.

Kim’s hands flailed in surprise initially.

Alix, hugging him.

Alix.

Hugging.

_Him._

Registering her movements, his limbs enwrapped the petite shape now in his hold. A few couples left—flirting, viewing flyers, conversing with staff—glimpsed at their display, and Kim smiled higher as he tightened his grip for good measure.

Alix’s head was surely squished to his reddish shirt-hood as he patted it. Their moment only lasted limited seconds, but as she pulled away—a genuine smile as wide as his—he couldn’t keep from rubbing her scrawled locks so they tipped in front of her eyes. They blinked up at him, thinning playfully, as teeth appeared in her grin.

“You’re making me hug a mountain of sweat after gym now?” He tutted, admiring his messy handiwork. “ _Violet,_ really?”

She knocked eye contact and stepped past him. “People were watching.”

“Sure.”

Alix didn’t add a comment.

“You totally wanted to hug me,” Kim said to himself more than anything, back to the same smug-blob she was too familiar with, pocketing his hands and following her out the threshold as he judged the sky’s colour. “Also, I’m thirsty.”

She flashed to him like she’d been shot.

“Like _dehydration_ thirsty,” he squinted. “You dirty-minded doofus.”

Alix rolled her eyes, zipping her bag and tossing him her bottle as they tracked the footpath. She would’ve retrieved her blades too, yet the evening’s mood didn’t feel right for it, and the touch of another human still lingered on her senses, distractingly. Keeping at Kim’s pace for once seemed appealing. “Don’t drink all of it.”

He caught and uncapped it. “Sure Pinkie-Pie.”

A surge of indignance. “I thought we had enough pet names.”

Kim took a chug. “Never.”

Alix didn’t know whether to crack a grin or another eyeroll.

She settled with both.

“Whatever, Kimmy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this early and stalled publishing bc I didn't like the writing. The editing did absolutely nothing but here you go anyway! (Love all you loyal readers btw uwu)


	11. Trips to (in) the Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back 
> 
> (Posting two chapters in similar time frames so if you wanna binge far too many words wait for the next one :D)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay,
> 
> But I've had way too much motivation on this fic. Not to ruin tomorrow's lovely surprise (might re-edit this in that time) or anything (well my today. I hate these time-zones. Archive doesn't exist in my future time. Ridiculous. 'Can't post in future', like shut up or catch up. Have to post at night sometimes), but I legit intended these chapters to be one. And they kept going. Wasn't my fault. I had to alter it to split in two. 
> 
> I literally haven't stopped working on this meaning the editing is practically non-existent and the writing style is horrendous. My will for this story has increased and the writing quality has decreased. But I love these chapters (i think. I won't in two days. Just watch). Hope y'all are enjoying the story!! I'm enjoying neglecting school work for it :D

“Alix? Teaching you how to skate well? Isn’t that going to take a while?”

The clash of his metal compartment resounded when his lacrosse stick hit it as he turned. Affrontingly, Kim faced his unlikely friend with the demeanour of someone who clearly did _not_ want to have this conversation, which he already had, with Max – who apparently had no confidence in his (lack of) skating skills and Alix’s (lack of) teaching skills combined.

“No, Because I already _can_ skate!” His shaft aimed at Ivan in a twitched grip. “Moderately!”

Ivan offered a look deficient in the amount of confidence Kim would’ve preferred.

He stored his equipment. “Blading is just like any other sport, and I’m an extreme athlete. I’m going to pick it up easy. And besides,” he shed off his number eight jersey, stuffing it away. “Alix and I skated back in primary sometimes. I’m sure I’ll remember how, then become a blading expert like her. We hang with the couple. They compliment us on our skills. Boom, homerun!”

The self-righteous carry in his shoulders as he shrugged his shirt and hoodie on had enough familiarity to make Ivan pull a face.

Adrien’s voice drifted from the other half of the room. “Didn’t you do that bet with her to win her blades that time?”

Perplexed, Kim let images of the day rack through his memories, unsettled by the way Adrien remembered that detail. His friend was cool, but also weird. He knew _way_ too many things. “She really loved skating. I really loved dares. I didn’t like the pranks she could pull off with them. And apparently everyone was dumb enough to not like my dares.”

Adrien threw a smile to the ceiling and shook his head.

“I guess it wouldn’t be hard for you to pick up.” Ivan’s headguard swayed off his arm next to the blond. Shifting, Adrien held out the exposed duffle bag to catch the object and the helmet landed neatly, the two boys chuckling.

Kim used teeth to pry off the tattered lacrosse gloves. “I’m not that worried about it.” The texture felt bitter in his mouth. “Eugh. Plus, Alix is teaching me this afternoon anyway. Alix is awesome at skating. She goes to derbies and stuff. She can do these cool little circle things and go backwards around pot plants. It’s so cool! I wanna learn how to be as cool as she is on skates. She’s amazing.”

Ivan and Adrien exchanged a glance – passive, but mirrored.

“Oh come on, what’s the worse that could happen?” Kim said, interpreting their lack of response as something else. “I fail? Kim doesn’t fail. I’ll practice every day to be good. Just watch.”

“We don’t doubt you.” Adrien almost laughed as he spoke. “We know you’ll pick it up.”

“I just feel sorry for Alix’s patience.”

Not for the first time that afternoon, Kim slit his eyes towards Ivan.

“Pff, Alix loves hanging out with me.”

“That’s debateable.”

The boys seized up. The octave difference stiffened them in chorus, startled perspectives taping to the shorter figure in the doorway, akimbo arms on her puffed chest.

“Debateable?” Kim said instantly, slapping a hand to his chest. “ _Alix_. My _babe._ ”

“Oh, hop off.”

He grinned from the distance. “You know you love my company.”

“That’s not the point,” she cut him off. “It’s that I apparently can’t shower because we’re ‘running short on time’ but _you_ can gossip for ages about me in the boys’ locker room.”

He pulled in his lips.

Right. Time was a thing. As he had made clear to her when he denied her a shower after practice.

Adrien and Ivan blinked with a fair portion of intrigue, eyeing Kim and wondering what he would say, the gear they were packing suddenly limp and fashioned off their wrists like handbags.

“I’m… not gossiping about you.”

Alix scoffed well-deservedly.

“Whatever, _sweetie_ , now get your junk and hurry up before it gets dark.”

Kim scratched his head. Having nothing else to store, his lacrosse duffle slotted in his locker, schoolbag swung on his back. The two other boys still appeared in the gallery of a cinema. 

“Um,” awkwardness strained his words, “see you guys, I guess?”

The door swung as the two strutted out, bickering still in earshot; Kim lamenting about something to do with ‘absolutely _not_ gossiping’, and Alix high-strung at the end of his clauses shooting her own complaints about how he should warn her of his chatter sessions so she could wash (“I said we _weren’t_ gossiping about you!”.)

The disregarded two stood, gazes lingered to the threshold.

One beat, two beats, three beats,

More.

Ivan broke the seated stillness.

“They’re basically married.”

Adrien hauled the cross-bag on his shoulder, rarely exasperate. “I told you so!”

“ _Man_ ,” he clicked his tongue, “I definitely see it now.”

“Right?!”

“I’m on board.”

A wicked grin sprouted; satisfied, excited, relieved. Adrien held out a fist.

“Welcome to the club, Ivan.”

* * *

The park.

Alix had whipped out the blades Kim would use—her brother’s he probably never touched—, chucking them hard enough so he’d ‘oof’ upon catching them, and directed he follow her from school to their ‘teaching spot’ wearing them as a warm-up.

Which was easy enough; a few glides off memory, legs coordinated as he pushed off – Alix totally didn’t have to help him from wobbling too much. At all. That was just— She was paranoid. His body steadiness just displayed in a different style to hers that she wasn’t used to, that was all.

At the start, guiding him like a baby taking first steps until his movement memory kicked in, Alix felt the lesson would last longer than intended. But that phase hadn’t preserved by the time they entered the park (Kim still a bit shaky).

Time’s breath felt close to slim until the sun’s light dipped the end of the earth. Darkness would overshadow, and Kim’s moments to learn to blade with comfort would cease; their departures signalling the most vital lesson before next week. They would have more time, but Kim wanted to pour every ounce into the first lesson and get as far as he could.

But obviously, he _would_ complete that challenge. He would learn, skate well enough, and accompany their latest friends in one of the fakest and most contrasting to themselves moments they’d ever enact: Righteously in-love and pro-skater-daters on Wednesdays.

He was willing.

He was determined.

And he was dedicated.

“Can we get ice cream before we start?”

Alix, meanwhile, was _sore_.

Fortunately, her mindset connected to the homely comfort she’d associated with skating, erecting her posture enough so she wouldn’t just about _collapse._ The duos’ fierce competitions and subtle acts to one-up each other on the gym’s machinery took far more than just a ‘toll’ on her capability to stand upright the next day – not to mention lacrosse practice during the muscle-aching state.

Curse Kim and his stupid, _stupid_ built physique, buff and—dare she say it—disgusting in that it could be considered attractive (since it displayed how hard he worked), allowing his energy to be at regular (well, _Kim_ regular) levels as they made it to the park – almost as though no part of him even felt yesterday’s damage. Thank goodness she was doing this gym thing or she’d never beat him in anything.

Tending to him trying not to face-plant as he ( _absolutely_ ) wobbled far too much on the road, also, didn’t do good for her ingrained stress levels at this point.

“Ice cream?” she recited, folding her arms as he rolled on the blades in place. “I thought you wanted to spend every second assuring you’re not going to screw up on the double date.”

Trepidation surged in both teens as his body rocked backwards. Kim jolted back to safe levels and she released a breath. Inexplicitly, the raw panic untied from his face in a blink, and a smile far too calm considering literally three seconds ago met her.

“I do! I’m very excited.”

She rose an eyebrow for him to continue.

“But ice cream is ice cream, babe.”

Alix blew a sigh. “Here’s the deal. Ice cream at the end, and _only_ if you can nail three basic tricks.”

He nodded eagerly. “Deal.”

Fatigue’s grip on her tightened, protruding a yawn. The season’s chill stroked its wind up her thinly clothed arms. At least skating with a friend was better than being home alone at the Louvre doing schoolwork or something – or worse, walking in on another conspiracy theory ambush from Jalil.

Besides, Kim’s presence had become comforting, in a way. The increase of him and their friendship lately felt nice. After all, he was the only one she could share her biggest lie with. That secured some sort of trust and safety blanket, she guessed.

An unlikely person to experience the gym-membership with, but an interesting, oddly fitting one at that.

“So before you can do tricks, you need to be confident enough to ride the wheels.”

“Please. I’m confident to ride anything.”

His wink, right after, was the moment the other implications of his words hit.

For both of them.

“Oh… _wait_.”

“Kim!”

An aghast look faced to a blushed—yet not ashamed—one.

“Any… uh, wheels, I mean—”

“Shut your face.”

All Kim wanted to do was the tricks (yet only just succeeded how to not wobble), and all Alix wanted to do was put a jumper on (yet could barely move any of herself), so together, the first step lingered longer than intended. A few laps around the park, a gradual scaling ascent in pace—how hard was that supposed to be?

“Alix. Alix I think I’m probably going to die.”

As her hands waited out for the push, ready to grant him a fast boost (it was for learning purposes. So he could manage to adjust speeds easier in more scenarios. Though to say she really wanted to push him and lowkey hope he’d fall like he’d made her do a few times lately may have been a part of it), she wanted nothing more than to laugh or sigh at him. Maybe both.

The irony. She’d expected him to ask her to do anything to improve his skill, and that he’d be _willing—_ even too willing—to do anything. But at the prospect of her flailing him down the cement path was apparently where he drew the line. Maybe previous instances with each other, some fun and some dangerous, had stained his daredevil nature when it came to dumping his safety in _her_ hands, specifically.

“Stop being a baby.” Alix rolled her eyes behind him. “You’re not going to die, meathead.”

“I might.”

“You won’t.”

“ _I might_.”

“You—” she gave up, opting out of the verbal tennis match. “Look, you were awesome at the other laps. This time I’ll just give you a small push, okay?”

Kim whined in protest.

Her hands dropped. She exhaled through jittery teeth as wind sprinted by.

“It’s just a small push.”

The figure in front didn’t speak.

“It’s literally nothing. You can do it.” Alix ran her palms to his shoulder blades, settling atop his frame with a reassuring touch. “Remember, ice cream.”

Kim made a small noise. The wheels of his blades teetered.

Her hands stamped his back. “Do you trust me?”

His answer came unwillingly, unthinkingly, and unhesitantly.

“Yes.”

Where—

What.

Where did that even—

…Wait,

“ _Ah!”_

The stab in his body’s inertia soared him forward as panic racked up his cells, hands in a frenzy and legs locked up while the blades carried him the distance.

The inward horror didn’t transgress to his outer stability after the first horrifying second. Kim held himself, gained control, and flew the rest of the way without fear. Shock mended into a sturdy skater.

Once his body took the lead, Kim turned his stiff sliding into glides, the confident smile evident on his face. He orbited the grass area until reaching his starting point. Alix, standing there, the shine of pride in her eyes, nodded approvingly as he slewed.

“How was that, violet?”

“Wicked!” The genuine applaud in her voice warmed his ego. “You did awesome, Kim.”

“I told you I would—”

He leant before assuring his stop.

The back wheels elevated. His arrogance toppled him forward.

Forward, onto her.

Forward, _stunningly_ , in his skates.

“Uh.”

Alix—

Alix was tired.

Alix was _sore._

Honestly – like, honestly – she’d given up caring about Kim on top of her now, her falling on him, or touching in any way. Everything in life was ridiculous and obviously their accidents were inevitable.

His wrist guard crushed the gum wrappers in her pocket, their helmets knocked together, his arms bracketed her torso–

Kim wasn’t really sure _what_ to do with his body, clad in the safety gear, cumbersome and heavy on him – all while he was heavy on _her._

“I’m… _really_ sorry.”

Alix just closed her eyes, relishing in the weight pressing her down on the cool concrete, wind adamant in its unending assault even as she lay flat on the pavement. A nap here would be nice. Or anywhere, really. As long as her muscles didn’t have to move.

Dismay hung like a dark cloud over his head as he hassled himself up. Lethargically, Alix latched to the offered hand, but her half-lidded eyes turned to full circles.

The déjà vu of their positions gave the idea to rip him back down – Kim helpless as the skates rolled under him, his body crashing again. Except, this round, it strained the widest grin out of her instead of the widest eyeroll.

“I’m _really_ sorry, hot stuff.”

Kim’s disappointment was outweighed by a burst of laughter, and together, they helped each other stand (not like Alix needed it, but she _really_ didn’t want to get up. Kim had to threaten to carry her until she writhed up).

The evening had yet to finish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ivan and Adrien. What on earth. Why isn't there more of that. I've never even seen fanon stuff of that bro-ness. That's pure wholesome bro-ness. Like, I suddenly need that.


	12. Ice-cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter- Yeah. 
> 
> :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and last was just a challenge of 'How much fluff can I fit into their skating day'

After that debacle, the lesson became much more spirited. Kim’s natural confidence reached his exterior and his skating speed increased with every lap. They tossed jokes and, even as Alix blinked heavily of drowsiness, her wit was just as quick to have Kim chuckling during his rounds – delighting her every time he had to catch his balance from letting the amusement distract him. He even ended up requesting she push him a few more times because of the thrill.

She remembered their younger selves in the school courtyard skating; both quite bad in their techniques, but she could at least past as good for her age.

Friends at the time, curiosity had stirred in smaller Kim when she showed up to school in the neon pair her mother had gifted. He set himself off to get his own and together, they fumbled on the white-lined ground trying the ‘awesomest tricks’. The memory had a hazy screen over it; faint and flickering against other memories, but the distinct fun they experienced felt perfectly clear during her recollection.

Kim still wore the same glorified hoodie brand and the most he did was change the colouring some years. Alix still cherished her first pair of blades hanging on her inner-door face. Her lip curved at the thought.

Alix stuck to skating, while Kim barely acknowledged how horrible he’d been the first round (maybe that ‘fun’ she recited was only her laughing at him? Oh well). He pursued as many sports as he could for as long as she could remember. Back in those times, both were so small… so young.

They had changed since then.

 _Things_ had changed since then.

But Kim was still competitive; her the same. They were still friends. Challenge ran deep in their childhood foundation. Banter bounced as effortlessly—if not _more—_ than it had back then where no one looked anymore.

The image of Kim grinning ear-to-ear before her present sight, just like that time she hadn’t thought of in years, swelled something bizarre – either that, or the pain kicking her loins. His face had thinned out and his build, even if it had always been square-cut, had definitely… _grown?_ How could she put it…?

Alix shook off the train of thought. Better to not think purely out of weariness and a distraction to the air’s cool brush strokes on her skin, otherwise the results were bound to be nonsensical and a waste of time.

“I think I can skate like a pro!”

She smiled at the way he raised his fist. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, big shot. You still have the tricks to learn before we get ice cream.”

Kim sulked at that.

She slid to the closest bench and overlaid her arms on the backing. A yawn beseeched. “I thought you wanted to do the tricks?”

“I _do_ , but this is also fun. That’ll take too long. It would be dark by the time I’ve learnt them. Can’t you just push me again?”

Sometimes, Alix realised idly, spending time with Kim felt like babysitting. And she actually did half of the stupid stuff with him! She didn’t want to imagine Max’s perspective. It was no wonder he made Markov—kidding! She was kidding, okay? Kidding. They had a wonderful friendship.

“Wait, Alix, are you cold?”

She snapped her eyes off the weird-shaped rock on the seat. Her shivers had become so ongoing she’d forgotten to restrict them. Alix noted her mood didn’t contain tolerance from Kim’s meddling she might get about ‘being a wuss’ in the wind, so didn’t allow him to press the topic.

“Did you say to push you again?”

It did the trick.

The act of shoving him into a panic-attack momentarily as he caught himself never failed to amuse her, and righting himself on the path never failed to aid Kim’s balance on the blades. His stamina and familiarity on the wheels, visually, had become much better since the start. The way she had to hold his arm like an aging person transitioned to her giving double thumbs-up on the closest bench as he practiced sharper turns.

As long as she could rest and occasionally laugh at Kim’s attempts to impress her, she was good.

The sun was sliding quickly towards the end of the world. A colour like autumn dressed the sky, the two teens enamoured over the seeping orange.

Kim’s childlike grin aimed at the nearby ice-cream stall.

* * *

“Thank you for today.”

Leaves chased each other as they passed, a slight chill down Alix’s spine following the wind’s visit. “No problem.”

“I learnt so much. I see why you skate a lot.” Kim scoffed up the strawberry top. “It’s really fun.”

“It is.”

His free hand patted the red-striped lacrosse shorts he hadn’t bothered to change out of. Alix’s legs swung under the bench beside him, banana and caramel up her tongue. The sunset smiled at their sight, while Alix frowned at her ice-cream for making her so additionally cold – but her tastebuds seemed to have higher rights when it came to her wellbeing.

The air tapped shivers up her arms and Alix shrunk in on herself, biting on her chattering teeth.

Kim’s mouth had opened for another question but came out with something entirely different. “You _are_ cold.”

That time the bitterness couldn’t dry off her tone. “No way.”

He pulled a disapproving look. Alix didn’t touch her slit eyes to his, turning away as he turned to her more, cradling her elbow and finishing the banana scoop.

Kim scoffed his whole ice-cream down. Beside her, wordlessly, he gripped the hem of his hoodie and writhed it up himself. She glimpsed too late and saw it clumped at his neck about to come off fully.

“What—Hey, hey, hey, no.”

“Yes.”

She hugged herself tighter, confused, yet knowing his ploy. “No, no. What are you doing?”

“It’s too hot for me after that exercise. You said yourself you could fit it.” The clothing piece sat in his raised hand. He looked down at her, peaked an eyebrow with a rhetorical question, no doubt _daring_ her to refuse his extended offer. “Here;”

“I can’t—”

The flat stare cut her off.

How could Kim surge such stubbornness in her yet had the ability to drain it just as quickly?

Alix didn’t have to snatch the fabric, likely with a grizzle, submitting to the air’s taunts and Kim’s silent ones. She didn’t have to do anything but let him set her ice-cream in the space between them, then extend her arms at his nonverbal command as he made it obvious he would put it on her himself. He dragged the clothing down until her shy head popped out the neckline.

Kim retracted and Alix wriggled her hands in the sleeves, grasping the hems so she could wrap the extra fabric around her. The wind’s defences lowered, an immediate soothing of warmth cradling as his hoodie covered almost her entirety. She felt smaller at how big it fitted.

Teeth chatter ceasing, she exhaled with bliss and relished in the lack of chilling gales down her spine and rising gooseflesh. She hugged herself and succumbed to the warmth.

Absolute warmth.

For once—and probably only ever—she regretted not listening to Kim straight away. The jumper was far too comfortable and warming. No wonder he never complained about weather. He was always just hot. –Like, the temperature thing. Lava for blood or something… Yeah.

Kim haloed a smile, warmer than the jumper could ever be, over her.

“Thank you, Kim.”

He uplifted the displaced ice cream. His shirt still retained enough thickness to keep him unbothered by the season, and all the fun he had on blades practically numbed it. “You’re welcome, little sweet pea.”

That time, Alix didn’t scold him for the pet name.

Her laughter suited how innocent she appeared.

His hoodie looked like an oversized bag, almost; it was so strange how it tailored to him like a glove yet made her seem so _little_. True, she’d always been smaller than him—definitely always would—, but seeing her in his clothes, in his size – he couldn’t _stop_ seeing. This tiny figure could use him as a punching bag and yet here she was, cuddling his clothes, quivering like she was nothing but soft and fragile. _Alix_. I-will-personally-smash-your-face-in-the-dust Alix. So weird…

Purple swelled in the sky. The last lines of yellow touched the horizon. No one was at the park so late, except for them. Them, as they rested after a long day, savouring the sunset.

“I feel bad,” she said quietly. “Aren’t you cold?”

Kim bent an arm behind his head to undo his stable posture. “ _Please,_ I’m the hottest person you know.”

She slapped him with the excess sleeve fabric. “Shut up.”

His grin was impossibly smug. “You didn’t deny~”

The jumper’s heat moved to her cheeks. Alix hit him again, grumbling unintelligibly. “I’m serious. You aren’t cold?”

“Not at all,” he shrugged and licked the cookies and cream scoop that had blended to grey. “Besides, you look adorable in my hood. Just like I said.”

One of the first times they’d travelled to the gym fluttered to recollection; their conversation about his hood and him not shutting up about the cuteness she kept from being small to embarrass her. She knew what was coming and groaned.

“Look how it’s eating you up!” he cooed. “And your little pink head poking out the neckline because it’s so much bigger than you! You’re so _adorable_!”

Alix couldn’t help the grin that broke out, but rolled her eyes with equal clearness before covering her expression that could possibly fuel his satisfaction. Similar to the first taunting session, Kim’s words threaded with unhinged laughter.

“My little sugar plum. All cute and cold and shivery!” He dramatically clutched his heart and tipped on her. Alix threw on the hood and sunk. “How blessed I am with the sight of my wonderous girlfriend cuddling my jumper! _Oh!_ The tininess! The innocence! The beauty! I’m the luckiest man in Paris!”

She chalked the pulse in her ears—the source heavy in her chest—and subtle pink of her face—that wasn’t a reflection of her hair—up to nothing more than scaling mortification.

“Get off me, you big oaf.”

“Can’t! I love you too much.”

She rolled her eyes forcefully and obviously. Kim snickered on her, no doubt enjoying every second, and reached an arm around to pat her hiding head.

“Get _off_.”

“Not until you say it back.” His body shook with hilarity – She felt, because it was far too close. “No one’s going to believe our relationship if you don’t say it back!”

“There’s literally no one is around.”

He still had the audacity to bubble laughter and snug into her. If she hadn’t made the internal vow to not mind his touch anymore earlier, he’d be punched in the shoulder at least thrice by now. “Do it. For _me_.”

“Your ego’s big enough already.”

Kim glared then. She smirked.

Her eyes peaked from the scar formed by the clothing’s state.

An ice-cream flashed in renewed sight.

“Hang– That’s _my_ ice cream!”

Kim lashed his hand up. “It was making you cold!”

“The wind was, idiot!”

“You still didn’t notice!”

Her mouth parted. Kim made a playful face and aimed it higher.

“You’ve– How have you almost finished it!?” She gaped wider, full-head almost reaching evening light. “Give it!”

“Not until you say you love me!”

Lines of rage firmed in her threatening look. She was ridged, riled, and of rage. This was the sight of Alix he knew better; the one he was familiar with.

“I hate you,” she bit. “Now give me the ice cream.”

Honestly, she didn’t want it. But technically it _was_ hers and Kim _had_ decided to snatch it when she wouldn’t notice – and _that_ ticked her off.

Kim didn’t heed the venomous command, wavering it higher to secure she couldn’t reach it even out of her seat. His brows lifted, egging her.

“ _Fine._ I love you, you _idiot_. Now give me the cone.”

Ridiculously proud of himself, Kim lowered her dessert and offered it.

She couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face, but once at the right level, she did the closest thing to it.

Blown eyes—framed with dripping caramel—blinked.

Wiping the ice-cream _on_ his smirk?

Yeah, close enough.

Milk dribbled off his lashes and the empty cone drew back.

“I—”

Kim’s mouth stopped, agape, the flavour running under his top lip and stimulating his taste.

“Love you?” she dared. “We’ve already played that game.”

His index finger loitered high and indignant in the air. The open mouth suggested he would speak, but the creamed face didn’t manage to ignite a thing.

Alix allowed for another silent beat before bursting into laughter.

“I… deserved that…” Kim dragged palms down the colourful adorning. He side-eyed her cracking up, and with the excess ice-cream, slapped it her direction so it splattered on her chuckling face. “And so did you.”

Her amusement quietened. She paused.

Alix used his own jumper to wipe the residue off while eyeing him deliberately.

“Oh come on!”

“’You deserved it’,” she sneered, but her eyes still had traces of mirth. They gazed at each other, laughing wholesomely once more.

Who knew? This day was supposed to be long and straining; detrimental to the ache in her body. But here she was, again, letting Kim turn the boring into fun with her.

“To think, we wouldn’t have had fun today if I didn’t have to learn to skate for next week.”

“Yeah.” Alix rubbed at the sticky feeling (Kim had accepted it as his life now and still let caramel drip on his shirt). “You should blade with me more often when you get better.”

His head drooped. “I’m not good enough yet?”

“Three basic tricks, remember?” She let the top frame of the bench hold her neck as wind danced past. “You did awesome today, so you’ll figure them out easy next lesson. What about Sunday afternoon after I hang with the chicks? That way we’ll have heaps of time and we don’t have to rush out after lacrosse.”

He hummed in affirmation. “Sounds good. Nino’s called an important meeting that morning with the dudes. Or… something. Yeah.”

Alix scoffed, smirking as she lolled her eyes up to the looming pigments beginning to darken. The wind didn’t hurt anymore, and their pleasurable time had taken her mind off the killer pains in her muscles. No longer did she want to curl up in bed with the sunset ignored like any other day. Kim’s jumper (she now understood why he only wore the specific brand, like _wow_ , it was comfy) did better justice, and this feeling—

Her slits undid. Kim hadn’t moved, likely enjoying the peace of the sunset too, but his gaze darted quickly from something when hers opened. Beneath, the faintest, softest of smiles aimed the other way. She figured he’d been entertained by whatever was looked at during her stupor.

“Why are you smiling?”

His head shook. There was an odd rawness, maybe vulnerability to his voice.

“Nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alix and Kim? Experiencing fluff? Always in my fic


	13. Do they ever let their bodies rest?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rip to Alix's muscles she just really wants a break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guess who's back and so is their internal angst _thanks chat blanc you horrible majestic piece of emotional art i love and hate you in so many ways_
> 
> *cough* SO school's been pretty hectic and I wrote this after two tests, I got more end-of-school-year things to do but i will try to use any free time I have to work on this because honestly if it makes any of your days more pleasurable then i am just here to serve, I love knowing my trash can make someone a lil happier.
> 
> (sorry if i sound overbearing or smth i'm tired from studying and getting sickly from stress so I can act a bit high :)))

Alix awoke, still sore.

She barely cared anymore. Theoretically, she should’ve been treasuring that strain as it indicated how hard she’d been working lately, and if she were entirely honest, the fun time yesterday evening distracted her enough to not care, at _all._

Until she _did_ care.

“Oh you’re _kidding_ me—”

Alix never forgot stuff. Sometimes, she considered that a curse, since she _apparently_ could only remember those important things at the worst, most stress-free moments.

She slashed her wardrobe open and began rummaging. That was right; Martine warned last week that their Thursday class would focus a lot more on ‘working out’ (which Kim and Alix were already _doing_ ) than couple stuff. She couldn’t arrive in casual, kind of sweat-tolerant attire. She needed sports clothes.

Meaning, more strenuous activity.

 _Meaning,_ if she woke up _this_ sore, she couldn’t imagine the ache _Friday_ morning.

Ridiculous. Utterly rid— Wait, no; clearly, Chloé talked way too much. She wouldn’t let the hot-head influence her thoughts. Alix smacked her forehead and continued searching.

* * *

Kim was the first to greet her at the school gate with a wave as exasperate as his smile, inferring he had _far_ too much energy and wasn’t paining _at all_ from their prior activities. Of course...

“You better be ready for our tough workout today, Alix!”

He received a thumb up. She attempted the best she could to smile back without looking in a great deal of discomfort. Thankfully, Kim had never been the best at picking up on those things, and he stood too far away anyhow, so he just smiled wider and raced off inside the building.

“You hang out a lot with Kim lately.”

Alix jolted from her skin and felt her stomach flame with anxiety. “Wh– _Nath!_ You– My _goodness,_ you don’t– _don’t_ do that! You little—”

Nathaniel’s lips twisted a wry smirk, standing passively as she struck his arm.

“We’ve been over this.” Her brow lowered and her breathing calmed. “Stop doing your weird sneaking up thing.”

His lip lined higher. He ignored her entirely. “You hang with Kim a lot more now.”

Her mouth was tipped. Outside the school, more people began arriving. “Yeah, I— guess?”

“Mm.”

Alix hit the enigmatic teen with a narrowed stare. She knew Nate well enough, but not even she could ever piece him together. He’d always been so mysterious, but she at least knew when something was up, or he acted suspiciously about a topic. It annoyed her most times – only since no amount of persuasion had even been sustenance enough for him to explain his sly grin.

She huffed, knowing this road already.

“Nope. What’s up? What are you doing?”

“I’m not doing anything.”

The bag kicked her back as she swung to face him more. “Don’t be a punk. Why are you grinning?”

“I’m not grinning.”

Every cell twitched. “Stop giving me that. What about Kim and me hanging out? I _do_ still have time to hang with you and others. Just say when!”

Nathaniel shook his head, cynical, and low. His fringe hid most of his expression so she couldn’t read it.

“ _Nate!”_

Their light eyes met. “What? I was just commenting.”

“Just—” Her teeth grit. “—You were just stressing me out that’s _what_.”

He blinked at her, sweetening his smile.

“Argh stop– _doing_ that!”

“Hm?”

Sharp air shot through her teeth.

“I _will_ run your race over with my blades.”

Nathaniel smiled wider at that.

“ _Ugh,_ you total jerk! Stop messing with me!”

His bag fastened. Usually, he wouldn’t stay outside with everyone for this long and would’ve been napping in their homeroom by now. But he knew Alix, and in all her fuming glory, wouldn’t let him step away now. Besides, this was _hilarious_.

“Okay, okay!” he relented, purely out of the kindness of his heart and not at all because he wanted to go inside. “I just meant…”

“Meant _what?_ ”

Clearly, he couldn’t stall. Nate hurried his creativity and spoke off that.

“Meant that… Well, you used to say Kim was the most annoying human being ever.”

Her mouth parted. Closed. Parted.

“He is,” she said decidedly.

“Right,” Nath trailed his gaze around loitering teens, expression unchanging. “I was saying how interesting it was, you thinking that, then having to spend so much time with him.”

By the slightest increment, Alix’s eyes narrowed in, lashes close to a tremor. Her tight mouth hesitated to speak as she calculated any meaning his words could carry that would weigh into how offended her reaction should be.

“Okay.”

Simultaneously, they blinked at each other.

“Suppose it’s made us closer friends now.”

The tone limped like it wanted to convey something more sustainable in response, show a threat, or shut him up for good, but couldn’t. They shared a moment of staring. Just, staring, as if both were figuring out the other.

Chloé’s limo pulled up. With that and the sun’s enmity, they picked up on the cue to leave. Alix still retained the sceptical eye when she walked off, side-gazing as he tagged a bit behind.

‘ _Irritating, cryptic art nerd.’_ She grinned fondly to herself. ‘ _I swear sometimes_ he’s _the most annoying human being alive.’_

* * *

Kim tugged down his tank top as air freshener poked his smell. The changing rooms after Physical Education always had a certain boy stench that had been masked with clean linen as soon as possible. It wasn’t the subtle floral of Midtown, the one not too feminine and blocked out everyone’s’ natural body excretion; the one not strong or distracting, rather calming and perfect.

The time spent there already formed an association to the memories and the smell, allowing him peace as he remembered inhaling it. The course, with all its absurdity, couldn’t have been going better. Hanging out with Alix so much had opened his mind to how fun she was to hang out with, and their status as friends had surely flourished with their laughter and new memories. Bickering as they did, never was it unhealthy fighting – only playful, and never serious. With her, he felt his purest self peak and inner-child revive.

It was a wonderful feeling.

He’d improved at reading her, too. Sometimes she was so chill he had no clue if she had just seen the akuma kidnap their teacher through the window. Now, he noticed the small things, like the emotion in her unchanging eyes or the subtle twitches in her lip.

She’d always be an unsolvable puzzle, but Kim wouldn’t admit that. Puzzles just meant challenges. He’d crack her, easy, one day. Maybe he’d rise something during the session that afternoon.

Out of their fun, some competition close to ‘how uncomfortable or embarrassed they could make each other’ had begun, and Kim was still persistent in winning a round. He’d only pin that down to the fact the unspoken game wasn’t a part of their school life, where with so much more time he could _easily_ win.

He pried his brush from his things and met a changing room mirror. School life hadn’t altered much. They spoke and greeted each other more, and during a class on Astronomy Max had to rip his attention back to Miss Bustier when he’d been staring at the back of her head too long, figuring out if the way she bounced her pencil was to that Jagged Stone song he’d recommended or the boredom playing on her fingers.

While he combed his quiff, he envisioned their upcoming session. Supposedly, there would be a lack of couple stuff and more of thorough workouts instead – from what he guessed, anyway. And after a session Tuesday, lacrosse practice, skating yesterday, a finished PE lesson, that only meant…

Even _more_ exercise?!

Um, _yes_.

Kim swerved out of the changing rooms as his bag thumped behind. The excitement buzzed already as the air-freshener-boy-stench withdrew, chatter down the halls loudening. It appeared even after he sent the other boys off after Phys-Ed warning he’d take longer changing into gym-clothes that _didn’t_ smell, they had paused themselves midway down the hall in a somewhat dispute.

“Nup. Yeah dude, there’s like, no wa— _Oh!”_ Nino’s voice sounded like it was poisoned. “Hey my bro!”

Kim’s steps stuttered as Nino slapped his arm.

“We were— Hey,” he tried again.

Max, Adrien, and Ivan wanted to face-palm.

“Hey.” Kim quirked an awkward smile, silently savouring how scared Nino could get when sneaking up on him. He made a mental note of it. “What are you two doing here?” He faced Adrien and Ivan. “You’re not in our PE.”

“Uh, we—" Ivan supplied, helpfully. (He must’ve been caught off-guard too.)

“We came back from the library early to walk out with you guys and got caught up. Nathaniel went off to finish something for his editor for next week.”

He nodded at Adrien’s words, folding his arms. “And what’s ‘no way’?”

The four caught gazes like magnets.

“Nothing’s ‘no way’,” Ivan, surprisingly, huffed. “Because it’s _true._ ”

“Dude you don’t even know what you’re _talking_ about.” Nino wanted to sling an arm off Kim beside him, but finding him too tall, he made an awkward face and dropped it on Max instead, who looked up, not amused. “You’re talking nonsense.”

“We are not!”

“You bros are so delusional.”

“Says the guy who wears his headphones during PE.”

“ _Yo—"_

“Uh, that’s cool and all,” Kim butted in, “but I’m late for my thing with Alix. She’s probably changed waiting for me outside.”

Nino was still ridged. “Just wait until it’s finished and they won’t even—"

Max coughed. Loudly.

“So… I think we all have to leave.” Adrien clapped his hands out together. “To places.”

Nino straightened up with panic. “Uh—Yeah. We do.”

“I know, that’s— I mean that’s why I was leaving—”

“See ya Kim!” Nino hollered over his shoulder, bangles sliding down his arm as he waved high. “Sorry for being so sudden but I really have to go to help Alya with this thing!”

The rest of the boys glanced, meeting Kim back with tight, almost apologetic, smiles, and together they all disbanded. Kim parted his mouth but opted to say nothing and go the other way out instead.

Nino was so weird. Almost _Adrien_ -level weird. Maybe he wouldn’t try to scare him for fun in the end if he was going to act like _that_.

* * *

“Say something the other doesn’t know about you, stretch a bit, and get started at your own time.”

Alix had often seen Kim speechless.

He talked a lot, but he _had_ been speechless before (previous relationship questions, for example), and most of the time for good reason.

It wasn’t Martine’s instruction that clamped his mouth, because since they had walked in—after dumping their stuff and Alix had shrugged off her jumper to be fully in her close-fitting attire—Kim had barely looked her way, focussing on his branded sweatbands by writhing them up and down his arms.

It wasn’t too odd for someone like him she supposed (he was _very_ odd), but he would’ve asked her how her day was already or rambled about how hilarious Miss Bustier’s face was when the pencil sharpeners went all over her desk after he tried out the prank she’d suggested. She could remember his sounds of stifled laughter behind her so distinctly as if they were on record.

She took him to a neon-panelled corner while everyone else commenced their heartfelt confessions.

“Are you doing okay?”

Alix wouldn’t usually ask unless it alerted her to a great extent. This was dumb; he couldn’t fit their entrance norm for two minutes and she was already interrogating him about it. Wonderful. She crossed her arms beneath her chest to fend off any extra demeanour of gentleness so she wouldn’t look as concerned.

Kim nodded, flicking his eyes over her before they danced all sorts of other places in the room just as fast. Were his eyes tired? Maybe _he_ was tired. 

Oh right, they _had_ been working out non-stop. Of course some grip of weariness would’ve taken him by now. Yet, she would’ve expected him to have a bit more stamina with all his bravado about the ‘amazingness of exercise’.

Alix fussed with the strap of her crop. When she concluded thoughts about his ‘condition’, she headed to make fun of him for the lack of energy, but what _actually_ came from her mouth was, “Are you? Or are you sick or something?” He seemed like he was struggling to look at her. “Just tired?”

Kim sleeked a hand on his combed hair. The confidence steadied in the taut line of his shoulders. “No way, I’m just— excited.”

She cocked her head, loud hair skimming a bare shoulder. “You’re not. What’s up?”

What she _wasn’t_ expecting was a secretive, almost invisible smirk to glide up his lips when he turned away; one that made him seem like ‘he couldn’t _believe_ their conversation right now’, like one that said he knew something she didn’t – or something quite unnoticeable was amusing for everyone but her.

His curious greys roved her and everything behind just as quickly. “It’s nothing. I’m just… Yeah.”

His smile broke out with embarrassment. Alix followed his eyes, wondering how they darted so fast, and dropped the crossed arms to her waist. “Talk. You always talk. Talk and annoy me.”

The grin had a sort-of cheek. “You _like_ my annoyingness?”

“I—” her brow pulled, “—No. But it’s off-putting. You won’t even look at me and tell me my hair’s too messy today.”

Kim maintained eye contact then. “You totally like it.”

“I totally don’t!”

“You do.” He shrugged. His shoulders really were broad without fabric covering them, Alix noted. The firmness indicated the blatant strength tightened in the toned structure. With a singlet, arms bare, she realised she’d never picked up on just how fit Kim. He really did work hard.

He could’ve picked anyone whom he thought could level him at the gym, yet he chose _her._

Alix glanced down past her chest’s protrusion to the muscles strained through her lower torso, practically nothing compared to all of him – not to mention her skimpy folded arms. Was he okay? She judged their obvious size differences with such dubiety she had a sudden reality crisis and questioned why she was there.

“I _don’t_.”

“ _Do.”_

“Don’t!”

“You do!” He chuckled. “Otherwise you would’ve stopped arguing with me by now.”

Her expression crumpled. Was she just showing compassion to this meathead? Unbelievable. Next time she wouldn’t—

His eyes. She shaped a guess at where his stare was. Like a brush, it streaked over her body—wide, taunting, interested. The greys definitely weren’t tired.

Alix saw herself down again to her hiked shorts and mesh-like crop. Oh,

_Great._

That explained a lot.

“I guess you’re right,” she drawled, coming at him with smaller distance between. “It’s totally attractive. I’m like, in love.”

His brow lowered initially, but there was no denying how his sudden change in posture. Cautious and ready, he knew she’d begun her fun.

“You get me so riled up.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah it’s really… hot.”

Kim’s mouth bent, a scoff bordering into a laugh blowing out. “You’re so weird.”

She tried a more audacious tone. “And you’re so pleasing when you’re annoying.”

“ _Pfft.”_

His arms sat akimbo on his chest—no longer puffed—and it was genuine hilarity that had him turning his face away with a grin. Admittedly, at first her plan was to embarrass him through seducing, but it became apparent flirting didn’t seem a good colour on her.

“Yeah, I know.” She chuckled along, undoing the suggestive lean. “That was bad.”

“It was.”

“But—” she spun on her heel, hearing the start-ups of machinery, “—at least I wasn’t looking you up just because you had less clothing on than normal.”

Silence.

Kim didn’t— _couldn’t_ speak.

She—

Wow, okay, so she _had_ figured it out.

Alix waltzed off, purposefully swaying her hips so they’d achieve more attention, swearing she could _hear_ the blood surge to his face after being called out so blatantly.

She peeked from the corner of her eye.

_‘Yep.’_

Looked like she did win that round, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you lads are having a great time. Are your days going good? Have you drunk enough water? You're all so wonderful so look after yourselves!!! 
> 
> Also we haven't seen much of Nathaniel and Alix's dynamic but I'd love to think this was it


	14. Flexing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It /is/ rated teen and up audiences, I tried to warn y'all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> STUFF SCHOOL 
> 
> \- it's holidays. it's fine. i'm not crying from stress anymore. it's almost Christmas (should I do a Christmas chapter or is that not in the right time? maybe an epilogue...). Small hiatus BUT I promise this chapter makes up for it. 
> 
> Actually don't get your hopes up in case it's terrible. This chapter sucks, is what I meant. (took me like eight hours and one sitting. i'm using an old laptop bc my school one I use for everything is gone and this one blows chunks). Beware of bad editing! Love you all pls enjoy

It was ten minutes into the lesson and Alix still refused to move. 

“How aren’t you sore?” 

“I’m an extreme athlete, babe,” Kim quoted, loud enough for any possible eavesdroppers. “Why?” 

Of course, the renown jock hadn’t thought twice about any muscular strains, likely long-forgotten how to let such menial (in his case) effects register to disturb him with how fit he was. Alix swirled the spring water in her biodegradable cup, flicking her gaze up to catch her fake boyfriend amid his stretches, refusing to depart her beloved bench. 

She grumbled incoherently and swung another sip. 

“Alix, come on. I thought you’ve been wanting to work out more during these sessions.” 

Glacial eyes were a horizon over her rounded cup rim. “Yeah, whatever.” 

Kim jumped up and dusted his hands. “So let’s go, pinkie pie!” 

She made another gruff noise. 

He protruded his bottom lip. “You don’t wanna spend more time with your boyfriend?” 

“I’m with you _all_ the time,” she groaned, not genuinely complaining. “I’ve moved on to someone else.” 

“Oh really?” The amusement couldn’t escape his expression. “Who’s beaten me in my offerings of love?” 

She declined her back and set her beverage, casting smiling eyes heavenward. “This bench.” 

“ _Pff_ ,” he scoffed. “A bench can’t beat the almighty Kim Lê!” 

She propped herself, turning her figure to face him in a ‘paint me like one of your French girls’ pose. 

“Watch it.” 

The only thing Kim watched was her shrilling body writhe with panic as he picked her up from her waist off the bench, hauling her effortlessly, Alix’s scaling, “ _what are you doing what are you doing_ **_what are you doing_ ** _—”_ a mere fly’s buzz in his ear. 

He plonked her on a tread-bike, grinning at her childish pout. 

“Oh no, the bench told me it wants to break up.” 

Alix sustained glaring, only as much as his goofy smile let her – the withering composure shattering seconds later and a hearty laugh replenishing it. 

He ruffled her hair and turned back. “Get cycling, sugar plum.” 

* * *

Okay, so maybe she was drawing out this ‘remotely in pain’ thing a _little_ bit just to watch Kim work out alone. But she _had_ done something, may she remind everyone, the tread-bike still in fact going at her acclimatised 5km/ph. 

Kim’s focussed movements, like it was him and no one else, were just so enticing to watch. 

It wasn’t—it wasn’t _attractive_. Sure, maybe to some convoluted minds. Not Alix’s. It certainly wasn’t attractive. No, ‘hot’ nor ‘attractive’ were never words to describe the shoulder-broad-Hercules-looking-teen, she was just— 

Jealous? 

Yes, how unfair. Men could retain muscle mass faster. Absolutely atrocious. 

It was _unfair_ , not _attractive._

Ha. 

Yeah right. 

Even she couldn’t deny her stare’s reason. But it was whatever; she was female, she had eyes, and she had a liking towards visual pleasure. And even if every cell visibly cringed at the thought of Kim being visual pleasure, so be it. She found him attractive. 

It meant nothing. 

Besides, it wasn't like she was actually _attracted_ to Kim. As admitted, there were certain qualities he possessed that were attrac- _tive_ , but she never had nor would particularly consider herself actually attrac- _ted_ to him. Such as, his electric personality paired with his childlike excitement was very attractive to be around. And visually, his determined drive, the focus in his eyes, and the tank-top already aggregating fallen sweat, his techniques were quite attractive. He seemed to be in his element – something attractive on most. 

Again, she wasn’t attract- _ed._ Her friend was just attract- _ive_ _._

Alix’s eyes skidded over the tread-bike's screen to escape her thoughts. 

“Love that you’re enjoying the free equipment, everyone!” Martine’s voice racketed every studio corner. Some pairs were on side-by-side machinery, others stretching, talking with weights, their friends Jose and Estelle had even indulged in a sprint battle. “But I have some even better couple exercises!” 

* * *

It was _t_ _hirty_ minutes into the session and Alix was just about _dead._

The first exercise – that was borderline fine. Planking with her weight was almost effortless, opposing Kim as they lowered together then high-fived on every ascent – she should’ve cherished those moments while she could have. 

Expectedly, the second exercise only nudged the intolerable line. While taking turns squatting with arms extended, the other would do high kicks and assure their knees would smack the offered palms. 

Jumping over the others’ planks, holding Kim’s legs as his did push-ups, and exchanging hand-grips as they squatted facing each other came next. As quick as the tasks were, they hurt, and evidently compiled into a healthy body ache. 

But they weren’t the _next_ instruction. 

The next instruction— 

Well, it _was_ a couple course. 

“I’m so dead.” 

“You will be after this.” Even Kim agreed, his gaze one of trepidation upon the racked bars awaiting their chosen weights. The couples littered in similar studio sections, already begun Adeline (tired desk-lady) and Theo’s (the dude who worked everywhere and somehow managed to score a girlfriend with one of their schoolmate’s older sisters while doing it)—who so graciously came in to teach the practice—demonstration. 

Alix’s dishevelled hair hung low, sighs fluttering from her. 

“Just put ten kilos on each side.” She’d grin and bear the bar-weights if it meant she could go back to checking him– _figuring_ him out as he did his own exercises right after; back to trying not to fall asleep on the padded tread-bike screen. “I’ll be fine.” 

She wasn’t fine. 

The weights were on, they weren’t far in, and Alix was not fine. 

Kim’s body aligned behind, hands only obeying instruction seated under her ribs, his body squatting down with her – Alix realised by the heat in her face that she absolutely was _not_ fine. 

The bar secured on her shoulders. When she had to dip, carrying the weights, Kim had to as well. Obviously, the purpose wasn’t for lude things but rather to assure her stamina was correct, while achieving that extra aid in her technique. 

But Kim was already so hot,— _temperature!_ Temperature - wise and _nothing else—_ thus panelling her skin from behind began warming her up too. Their position was confined, unbreathable, and for her, almost _impossible._ While the weight didn’t cause too much challenge, it remained a kill as she had to squat with Kim millimetres behind. 

“You’re doing really good.” 

She had managed _three._

_“_ Don’t mock me. I’m tired and hot.” 

“Sorry.” Kim chuckled, noticing their distance could’ve produced some unwarranted warmth. “We look like a couple though, don’t we?” 

The hotness flared on her cheeks. 

“Do a few more before it’s my go.” 

Whether it was the heat or her natural daring wit that prompted her to blurt after a scoff, “You just like feeling me up,” she didn’t know. 

She didn’t see his expression either, but that didn’t stop her from picturing it with how his hands tensed. 

A nervous laugh ran out of him and brushed against her neck. “Stop trying to blame your laziness on me.” 

“You didn’t _deny_ ~” She braced the weights again, dipping with him as his words from the skating day came to mind. Kim tightened his grip on her in offence. It piqued an idea. 

“ _Kim.”_

Instantly, she knew what that idea was. 

His fingers drummed with featherlight courtesy, nerving her abdominals to flex as the bar-weights drooped low. 

Kim’s pressed chest stayed firm to her back while his hands roved – not far, but very subtly, which was what mattered. Because the light grazing of finger pads to one’s bare stomach could incite many reactions. A main one, drastically, was _giggling._

She swallowed the tickle’s product rising in her throat. Giggling was a reaction she would _not_ emit. 

‘ _Nope. Nope. Nope—’_

“B-babe,” she pleaded, voice edging. 

Alix didn’t stop him, for who knows what reason, so his electric touch continued upon the minor divots in her stomach muscles. The bar shivered in her grip. She pondered whether his goal was for her to finally release the weights on their four-inch fall. 

“Don’t mind me,” he said lowly, “just feeling you up.” 

That made her _lose_ it. 

The sound of metal clanking reached the whole area. 

“N— _Kim!”_ He didn’t cease tickling her torso, revelling in her poorly hindered laughter, snickering lightly with her. “Meathead! You stop th—” She couldn’t finish, blissful, unrestrained and high-pitched giggled bursting from her like a dam as she writhed in his hold. She was so petite in comparison, Kim could easily cage her as he skimmed his touches. 

He’d never seen her so... raw? If that was the appropriate word. For once, the sounds escaping her weren’t sardonic, satirical, or sarcastic – they were girly and squeamish; maybe childish. Alix’s attempts to stop him stopped instead, lessening as she wriggled helplessly in a fit of laughter with him. She was having fun. 

Once more, she mused, Kim had turned even the worst of activities into the most fun. 

Neither caught Martine’s soft gaze from the front of the studio. 

* * *

The fun didn’t last long. 

No, it could only get worse from there. They _did_ have twenty minutes left, anyway. 

The only curb to Kim’s exercise enjoyment was the _lack_ of enjoyment from his partner – who had once again found “Mr Bench” seconds after helping him with his weight squats (after both managed composure), and would refuse to get up even as Kim reminded that her and “Mr Bench” were “no longer dating”. 

But even _after_ succeeding in his threats of not watching _Mecha-Money Versus Cyber-Shark IV_ with her like they’d discussed on the way there, everyone else back on the machinery, Martine stepped out again with one last exercise that was sure to melt into Kim and Alix’s night terrors. 

Apparently-now-buff-Theo held onto a chin-up bar, legs of front-desk Adeline Beauréal (in an unfamiliar state of _not_ tired) around his torso, the two levelled. Four arms were locked on the metal when they initiated their conjoint chin-up reps. 

Down, up, _kiss._

His heart stumbled. 

But—! But it was fine! Everything was fine! Kim absolutely was _not_ having a panic! And Alix, hunched on Mr Bench and chugging a water while side-eying the performance confusedly, was totally good too! He just knew it. He did. Especially when Martine announced there was an alternative— 

Theo still had the chin-up position, but Adeline had tipped down, blonde bun grazing the black-squared mats as she arched. Her interlocked arms rested behind as she used her core to drag herself up, timing herself to her partner’s chin-ups so they’d meet above to the bar, legs still around him. 

Down, up, _kiss._

Oh, _no._

_“_ We’re– Um—” 

“Stuffed,” Alix supplied, fatigue weighing her lids as she scrunched the poshly designed cups and tossed it smartly in the bin. She stood and patted herself down. By outer appearance, it almost seemed she didn’t care, like the pain induced from everything had defeated any melodrama. 

Kim darted a panicked glance to the other pairs bouncing off to find a bar. “What do we do?” 

Alix—to his surprise—slapped herself in the face. “I dunno... I was almost asleep.” 

“Well, you’re about to wake yourself up a lot more,” he muttered with the charisma of someone who knew they were about to die. “What if you kiss my cheek? Or just miss?” 

Her nod was slow. They made it to a bar—not enough out of the eye of others in Kim’s liking, but it made do—and he latched. 

“How—” her face did that cute scrunching thing, movements halted and eyes rolling him over, “—do I get on?” 

Kim looked himself down. That was a very good question. 

“Oh, I lift you on.” 

She approached, eyes not touching his as he gripped her waist with her consent. 

“Don’t you dare tickle me.” 

He chuckled at that. “All I heard was _dare—”_

_“_ Nope!” 

Alix’s legs managed around his torso; both sets of arms clipped to the bar. The eye contact was anything besides _not_ awkward, uncharacteristically close too. Their bodies were, also, _close._ Same with their faces, skin, work-out clothes, _breaths._

Alix released her grip and arched backwards before pink could smart her cheeks. The view didn’t help Kim’s case as he performed his chin-up effortlessly, and as Alix flexed back, she took a second before brushing her lips to his cheek and dropping again. 

The second one went quicker. In fact, each seemed to accumulate this sort of tension, likely awkward tension, reddening Kim’s face more and more as time went by. Thankfully, it was only an adjust to the circulation. The process became mechanical and the awkwardness wrung out as their muscles strained. 

It didn’t change Kim’s tormented view as he found himself practising monk-like levels of ascetism. Alix’s form became lazy, her lips more dragging off his face or sometimes barely brushing. The pained, sluggish noises that proved her distaste of being there didn’t help Kim’s predicament either. He wished for the chin-ups to take on toll on his lack of pain-receptors so he could at least have some form of distraction, so he became more driven as Alix’s became more tired. 

More and more tired. 

More slothful, more thoughtless— 

Her mistake was inevitable. 

They should’ve known that at the start. 

Statistically, she _had_ to miss at some point. And she did more than once – not even making his face a few times. There was only so much she could do, and the chances of hitting the same spot on his cheek every single time? Near impossible. 

Still, their lips greeting was a shock. 

Alix didn’t recede. She held her position, level with an equally as surprised stare. Her mouth remained tipped and glossy when grey eyes dropped to them. 

The extent of her mistake registered, but even then, they had no idea what to do. 

“Sorry!” 

“No, no; you’re alright! It was bound to happen!” 

It was a light kiss, at least. Both their firsts, but hey, something like that didn’t _really_ count, right? 

Alix groaned and dropped herself, covering her face as her hair brushed the neon strips of the floor. “I’m such an idiot.” 

Kim found it in himself to laugh. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s fine.” 

“I just had my first kiss by _accident_ and you’re saying it’s _fine_.” 

Needless to say, they hadn’t known it was _each other’s_ first kiss. 

Kim’s mouth parted. With one hand off the bar, feet meeting the ground, he found her spine and pushed her back up, levelling eyes. 

“Alix,” he said earnestly, “it’s _fine._ It was mine too, and we barely felt it!” That didn’t mean they both didn’t _still_ feel it. He leant in closer, lips near her ear so only she caught his words. “If it makes you feel better, Martine and a few other couples were watching when she was using our technique as an example to help some others.” 

Alix pressured herself to smile, as obviously forced as it was. Kim was right; it didn’t matter. It was just a kiss – an _accidental improper one_ at that. Who cared? And now more people believed they were the real deal. It was better her first kiss wasn’t gooey and romantic, anyway. This seemed more like how it had been destined to happen.

She kissed Kim... 

“You’re blushing.” 

Her soft features unwound. “Wh– I am not!” 

“You _are~”_

...Goading, taunting, and _annoying_ Kim. 

“Oh, hop off!” 

“You hop off!” 

At that, he moved his hand-brace, causing her to flail down with a yelp as her body smacked his legs. 

They stayed there a few moments as she hung, Kim’s snickers filling the silence. 

“...You suck.” 

“And you’re still blushing.” 

Finally, Kim had won a round. 

In more ways than one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole fic would be so much easier if I've ever dated or stepped foot in a gym...
> 
> Yes, it was lowkey steamy (apologies if you didn't like it), and yes - 
> 
> THEY FLIPPING KISSED AHSJHHDKKLLIJSH


	15. Character Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boys have a chat (argument). Kim and Alix get trapped (therapy).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we bacc & we heavy

Nino was _smart,_

—according to Nino, and since Nino was smart, that fact was therefore obviously valid. 

Apparently, his intelligence extended a gap so far up between his other male friends (one who got grounded by an A-, another with a self-built emotional robot) that no one could perceive the blatant stupidity of their ideas. 

The argument arose with Adrien—who, by the way, watched far too much anime and believed everyone was a Disney princess—so to gain some easy leverage, the debate went over to the rest of their male classmates. He’d lost Ivan in a traumatic locker incident after lacrosse practise where Adrien used his model-mind powers, and Max—who had his mind made up about how it would play out sculpted from the beginning—was a lost cause. Seemingly, no one understood the term ‘ _fake_ dating’. Fake! Even Nathaniel sided with them, not out of (inexistent) clues from Kim, but _Alix._ Nino had been sure the shy art kid would have known Alix enough to understand that would _never_ happen, especially for someone like _her_ with _him_. 

With Kim. Alix and Kim. 

Kim, who thankfully still hadn’t arrived. Kim never was late, so Nino may have tweaked his invitation (to the _important meeting_ because—ignoring his alleged “smartness” for a quick sec—he _may_ have forgotten his and Alya’s anniversary was on the horizon and his ‘it’s gonna be _so_ epic’ pledge he’d given two months ago hadn’t been _invented_ yet _)_ to be a bit later than the others’ to cop some time attempting to reverse his friends’ unrealistic romantic beliefs. 

Update: It wasn’t working. 

" _Fools_ , I tell you!” If he looked ridiculous suspended on his cheap amp system pointing like a cranky gremlin, so be it. Apparently the stupidest of things could convince them – even one slipped ‘sugar plum’ at school from Kim’s lips ( _‘_ _Instinct!’_ Nino had argued relentlessly, ‘ _Kim did it_ _on instinct_!’ while completely ignoring how the slip-up went unnoticed from both Kim _and_ Alix.) “You’re _fools_! All of you!” 

“We’re right!” 

“You’re delusional!” 

Nino distantly wondered if Alya had felt this painfully heated trying to convince him the correct pronunciation of the word ‘schnitzel’ (except the only difference was that she was still wrong). 

“Why are we even fighting about this?” Nate muttered, every second impending more regret not to spend his Sunday working with Marc instead. It was simply unfair he could use the ‘I’m not in your class’ excuse to avoid these shriek sessions. “It doesn’t really matter this much, does it?” 

“This is Kim’s new chance at love!” Max clapped. “It is one-hundred percent of importance!” 

Nate’s brows rose as he looked off to the side as if to say, ‘Okay then’. 

Nino and Max’s exasperation to arguments wasn’t a type expected by anyone. 

“Dudes, face it; Kim can’t be romantic without help. Alix can’t be romantic _period._ But since none of you guys can realise this despite both being our friends, I took this to more intelligence specimens. The _girls.”_

The four swerved their eyes to the theatrical gremlin. 

“You _what_?” 

“Why?!” 

“That means Alix will hear about it!” 

“Bros! Bros, bros, bros... It’s fine. I first just mentioned it to Alya, and she’s... Okay she’s _leaning_ towards your side. But I had her under wraps before she remembered our unlikely romance story and said, ‘why not’, as though this wasn’t crucial.” He scoffed. “It’s not like there’s a massive verbal bet without money riding on this because we’re broke as rocks.” 

Max adjusted his glasses priggishly. “Of course. With someone of such journalistic expertise, Alya would’ve observed their developing relationship indefinitely. This evolution is unsurprising.” 

Nino’s straight brow sagged over his eyes. 

Sympathy latched to Adrien seeing his best friend’s demeanour. “And I mentioned it to Marinette, she’s on... Nino’s side.” 

“A- _ha!”_

The boys broke into a chorus of groans. 

“You get _Marinette?_ Unfair.” 

At times like this, Nino understood why he’d dubbed himself smart. 

“In our defence, she was half-asleep in my lap. And she kind of mumbled. And she hasn’t seen them lately. And she looked really cute.” 

“Was that last bit relevant?” Nate’s brow peaked. 

His look was an interesting mix of sheepishness and lack of regret. “No.” 

“ _Ba-_ _ba_ _-_ _ba-ba_ _!_ Shh!” Nino hissed. “No excuses! I got the Dupain-Cheng _sealed_.” With a self-satisfied tilt of his chin, he scanned the fed-up faces of his room, avoiding the glaring socks discarded like unloved ornaments on a Christmas tree, making a mental note to collect them to get his mum off his back. “I haven’t even gotten to the best part. Mylène and Jules are with us.” 

Ivan looked _aghast._

_“My_ Mylène?” 

“No, dude,” Nino deadpanned, tired, “a different one.” 

“There’s another Myl—” 

“ _Yes,_ it’s your Mylène. She’s apparently the more reasonable of you two.” 

“She does sit next to Alix in class,” Max said, as though forgetting which side he vouched for. “But I sit next to Kim!” 

“Congrats,” Nate mumbled into the hand upholding his falling head, as quietly as his current consciousness. Staying up late sketching, he realised for the one thousandth time, was _not_ ideal, especially if he didn’t want his inner-snark to leak in his half-filtered, sluggish state. Thankfully, only Adrien heard, receiving it with amusement. 

“To be fair, you thought the same at the start.” Adrien smiled softly at Ivan. 

He received a grunt to the ear and an indie pillow to his face. 

“What about Rose?” Nathaniel asked curiously. 

The unimpressed looks were his answer. 

“Rose doesn’t count, I say!” Nino raised a hand. “She’d think anyone was a cute couple if they had eye contact. I saw her shipping different coloured flowers the other day.” 

Adrien fisted his cheek, legs crossed on the circular record-theme mat as he muttered, “That is actually kind of cute.” 

“We’re not even betting anything, does it really matter?” 

“ _Yes,_ it matters, _Nathaniel._ I have to prove to Alya I’m right, and once Kim hears of your dumb theories saying he’s going to fall for Alix— _Alix,_ the girl he’s puked in front of and has invited to ‘dude hangs’—he’s going to realise how delusional you all are, and we’ll bond over how ridiculous this all was.” 

“Wow, it’s like Kim gets your romance and you get his ego.” 

“ _Hey—”_

_“_ Hey!” the voice walking in greeted, oblivious to the aggressive tone not even aimed at him. “Am I a bit early? I took a jog here and was so excited I accidentally sped up sometimes. Also Nino, your mum is so nice! She gave me a cookie before I came up here. It was like an unintentional reward.” Kim noticed the jarred expressions his way and flinched. “Oh, hey. You’re all here.” He scanned his monitor with alarm. “Wait, am I late?” 

Nino blinked. “No.” 

“Oh.” He smiled again, slinging his bag off besides atop the hill of others and scoffing the rest of his snack. With crumbs falling, he muffled before swallowing, “Why are you standing on your amp?” 

“I’m... practising my English speech.” 

“Really?! Can I watch too?” 

Nathaniel, the absolute _devil,_ nudged the block from the back out of eye to give Nino enough shock to dramatically Marinette-wobble off, barely catching himself so he didn’t head-dive into Adrien. 

He coughed, playing it off as intentional (spectacularly badly). “I just finished.” 

Kim sighed and jumped besides Ivan’s beanbag. 

“Why are you so excited?” Adrien peered. 

“I’m seeing Alix after this for another skating lesson. It was so epic last time! I learnt so much, and then we got ice cream! She’s a super good teacher, just like I told you. I can’t wait to learn actual tricks today. Oh, also because I have some ideas for Nino’s anniversary.” 

“You... do?” Nino crouched on his amp. 

“Yeah! I think some of them are really good and romantic.” 

“You?” Ivan turned his neck. “Romantic?” 

Kim took it heartily. “Ha, yeah, that’s what I thought too. I have no idea where the ideas came from if I’m honest.” 

Adrien, Nathaniel, Ivan and Max all nailed their eyes to another in the room. 

He didn’t look, aware of the stares. Only Kim had his eye-twitching focus. 

“Cool,” Nino squeaked. 

* * *

“Stop pouting like a puppy.” Alix lolled her head back. “It’s not the end of the world.” 

Kim was miffed and happy at the same time. 

Miffed, because his and Alix’s restraints to the rest of the world were sealed by a mauve crest caving them in a dim dome-like akuma product in the park, their lack of personal space embellished by the way their blades clanked during nervous adjustments. 

Happy, because even when (to be honest they didn’t catch the name, or the stretched-out cries warning them, as they were laughing at Kim’s antics too hard) the akuma ambushed them with mulberry-coloured rays, Kim had already finished learning three tricks in time. And that was all that mattered. 

Alix’s expression inferred she felt otherwise. 

True, she wasn’t the one with three new tricks up her belt, and she missed lunch helping Nate clean a paint spill, but then again she always looked dissatisfied by most things. 

“I’m stuck in a purple gem. I deserve to pout.” 

“ _Is_ it a gem?” she turned curious. “I’m not sure—” 

“Why are you sniffing it?” 

“I mean, what else is there to do?” 

Kim studied the deep wine embers; veins of light slithered up their prison-crest. “True. Do you think it was some crystal akuma? Ooh! They were angry about stolen jewellery!” 

“I wasn’t really watching,” she said honestly, looking at her blades like she was pondering what to do with them. “I don’t really care, either. As long as we’re not hurt. I’m just hungry.” 

Inexplicitly, Kim dug an apple out of his pocket. 

_“You–_ Why in Paris do you have that?” 

Kim observed his fruit, seeming to recognise his own hunger, then took a bite. “Nino gave me it for the road.” 

He _tried_ to toss it to her, really—Kim turned most menial tasks into challenges so knew very much how to throw—but forgetting their lack of distance, neither could really be surprised when it bounced off her preparedly-scrunched face. 

She ate it anyway. 

“Nino’s, hey? He’s been totally off lately. It’s weird; he talks to me more, and he’s oddly nice.” 

Kim couldn’t explain why his chest suddenly felt as if it had small pins. Alya popped up by neurological association, and the heat deflated. “Same, actually. He’s been acting strange to me too.” 

They looked at the apple. 

“What if he has some type of diabolical plan?” He grinned. “He’s noticed how strong we both are from all our time at the gym. Us together are now a force not to be reckoned with.” He took on dramatic poses. “More dangerous than Hawk Moth! Cleverer than Ladybug! Better dressed than Chat Noir! So strong as a team we could take over the world!” Theatrically, he gasped as he clipped charades to his words. “Nino knows! And he’s poisoned us with the apple!” 

Alix broke out in dubious laughter, trying to keep her apple-pieces in her mouth. Kim chuckled along as she bent forward unable to stifle any of his absurdity’s effects. 

It was peculiar to be cracking up so much in such a space. In all honesty, it probably supplied more of the humour for sheer ridiculousness to the scenario. 

Truly, despite their placement, it was a nice a moment. 

Alix ran her pink-chipped nail across his mouth bite once they’d calmed down. It was always a nice moment. Even at his best, annoying moments (which she secretly loved), she’d always ended up in mirthful tears or uncharacterised chuckles. She never lodged the warm feelings, indulging how Kim could alter a moment—even the worst ones like stuck in an akuma trap—into the best ones. 

Yeah, a nice moment. 

Earlier with the girls, she struggled paying much mind to their fashion hang out, preoccupied with that very thought as though she was trying to figure out _how_ he had that power. Her untouched design paled in complexity compared to the finished outfits besides her. Marinette expressed her concerns, salvaging Alix from the daydreams and memories only to be dismissed. She was just busy figuring Kim out more. He was interesting. He was fun. He had a big heart. 

He really made her day sometimes. 

Alix opened her mouth to the stillness, ready to verbalise her tumbles of thought to make some conversation connected to their former laughter. But Kim, quietened with eyes sighing to his blades, beat her to speaking. 

His deepness was unexpectedly expected. 

“I don’t think I ever loved Ondine.” 

Alix left her mouth tipped. 

“Of course I loved her as a friend, we got along really well. I mean... I mean romantically. Like, _in love._ ” 

Alix breathed the silence in. Kim looked so small but his eyes were ever-so big. The panic flamed on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” 

“It’s fine.” Her petite hand went to his knee, a touch that comforted him. “I’m listening.” 

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” 

She gave him a look proving she knew too much. “I can keep secrets well.” 

The plum illumination toned his look. 

“I’ve been thinking about how… stupid I was.” His hands played together. “I think I led her on.” 

Her gaze wasn’t anywhere near hostile, but understanding. “Because you kinda dated?” 

“Yeah.” His laugh lacked mirth. “Knowing someone likes you, it just... I really felt happy. I felt liked, loved, _wanted_ – Like I had a use, you know? I was so side-tracked with losing my obsession with Chloé and hearing that a friend loved me right after—like, _me_ and not the other way around—I never thought twice about my own feelings.” 

The glow’s heartbeat synced to the rhythm of his own. 

“I’ve always been confused. I’m confused all the time. I went on some ‘dates’ with her, but I never did any of the couple stuff because I didn’t realise I still looked at her like a friend. She asked where we stood and I had no idea what I wanted! I even second-guessed myself and turned away when she tried to kiss me. She felt unsatisfied. Her feelings faded. Then a guy at her school confessed—someone she was with a lot more than me, someone smarter and more aware—and she tried to see if he worked for her.” 

Alix loathed the way he closed in on himself in self-hatred. 

She loathed his mind for causing him to feel that way – she could see it; she could see his self-destroying thoughts. His heart-sinking appearance wasn’t a good look on him. She saw his actions, the knocked eye contact and how his thumb traced over the same threads of his sweatband over and over, and she suddenly craved nothing more than for him to be happy. 

“He did. He worked for her a whole lot.” 

Vulnerable. 

Kim seemed vulnerable. 

Kim being vulnerable had a whole new meaning now. 

Her brow had fixed, clefs of pity hinged by the blue sheen of her eyes. “Are you sad you never ended up in a relationship?” 

“I felt lonely at first. I didn’t feel liked or loved or wanted; I felt useless. Lonely,” he rambled. “But then as time passed, I realised it would’ve been unfair to her, because I wasn’t even sure if I liked her back. I just went with it.” 

She understood that. She propped her elbows on her knees, watching her forearms hang between her legs in the same manner his words did. “You weren’t thinking, huh?” 

Kim shook his head. 

Vulnerable had become an understatement. 

“Max doesn’t know it wasn’t only weeks ago when we cut the dates off. It was quite a while ago. I was just too scared to tell him because he liked me having something to do instead of watching him work on Markov and video games. I sat just at home instead. Alone.” 

Something metaphorical tore beneath her ribcage. 

“She’s much happier lately. I still go to the pool with her and we play the same games. It’s just...” 

“Not the same.” 

The statement felt tight in their confined space. 

“You should take it as growth for both of you.” Alix mirrored his actions, picking at the chipped nail polish on her forefinger, voice consoling and thoughtful. “Maybe she was infatuated, maybe it was just a crush, maybe she really loved you – either way she grew from it and found the happiness she wanted. While you got to realise a lot more about your own feelings and didn’t continue a mistake that would end up harming both of you.” 

His head lulled low and mimicked the image of defeat. Like he was bruised and mortified, almost reminiscent to the shattered picture Chloé had sent to the whole class. It hurt. 

Alix gripped his chin, aiming his face to hers, but his embarrassment shaded his empty gaze from finding hers. 

“You’re not useless, Kim.” 

He dared to drag his eyes up; graphic and telling, untouched by any mask to hide from her. He was open, listening, and entranced by her words. She paired him with utter warmth and acceptance. 

“You’re loved.” 

They smiled in the same second. 

“You’re an idiot sometimes, but never call one of my best buds useless, _ever_.” The light shape of her lips hardened with cheek. A hand pressed to the wristband he’d nervously toyed. “You’re liked, loved, and wanted. And you’re definitely not lonely. Just look at us two! We’ve been stuck together countless times.” 

His breath came out amused then. 

“I’m sorry you had to feel like that. I want you to know it’s totally not true. And besides,” she drew her hand away, expression lifted and warming, “you’re a cool guy, I know you’ll find real love one day. Just be patient; time is everything.” 

He was vulnerable, but happy. 

_Happy._

She’d managed to make him happy. 

It did wonders for her heart. 

“Thanks, Alix.” 

The feeling lit her features. “Any time.” 

Their blades clacked when he reached over and embraced her in a hug slowly. No warning, but she had sensed its greeting. No one was around to see them, no one to speculate their ongoing façade; he had no excuses. But he didn’t need any. 

She felt his smile – not because it pressed into shoulder or anything, but because she _felt_ it. She felt his burdens on the very back she patted, slimming down at their contact. She felt his subtle sentiment of ecstasy, as though new revelations had breached. Their touch and ties together were tugged at the knot, firming their friendship into a greater depth. 

A weight so destroying had been detracted from him; a weight he hadn’t displayed to anyone, and finally it was gone. 

It forged his growth. 

Alix smiled as wide as he did, soothing a hand up his spine to the hairs on his neck, finding and fingering his famed quiff. 

He laughed into the wall behind her in disbelief. “I made you swore to stop touching my hair.” 

“Shh, it’s so soft.” 

He didn’t pull away. 

Kim held her as the chaotic noises returned to the park momentarily, even tightening at one louder blast with intent of protection. Instinctively, Alix hardened her grip in tandem. The echoes ricocheting seemed in another world from their prison’s sound alterations. 

“Thanks again,” he murmured, finally prying off. “I’ve been meaning to get that off my chest.” 

Alix grinned in understanding. “I get it. It’s totally cool. You can talk to me whenever if it ever creeps up on you again.” Her eyes turned challenging. “But don’t you dare forget—” 

“Forget what?” 

Her smile had teeth. “You’re not unloved or useless.” 

Somehow, his face broke with more joy. 

“Say it!” 

He rolled his stare. “I’m not unloved or useless.” 

Her locks and orbs and crystal background made for a colourful sight. “You’re awesome, Kim.” 

“I’m awesome Kim.” 

She chuckled. “You’re one of the coolest friends.” 

“I’m one of the coolest friends.” 

There was something he’d never seen on her in the way her eyes softened. “And you can make anyone’s day better.” 

He blew a humorous scoff to the side, lip edging higher. His voice leaned towards mocking as he finished, “I can make anyone’s day better.” 

Their distance hadn’t retrieved the same status as before due to the hug, the teens still very much close. It spurred Alix to touch his hair again with a frivolous ruffle. “That a boy.” 

He laughed and lent into her touch as her face suddenly turned serious. 

“Okay, but seriously what is the shampoo you use—” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L'Oreal's No Tears Shampoo? what do you mean I'm weeping


	16. Domesticity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With new barriers breached, their dynamic becomes stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's really no point of this chapter tbh i was in a hurry - but hey, fluff it

“Alix! Alix, come on! Let’s go!” 

The extent of her free time utilised with Kim had made her near-numb to his excitement. While at times she found it draining, such as the days he’d flick paper at her head whenever she looked drifting to slumber in class, shooting him a nice glare and getting picked on by Miss Bustier before managing to throw it back – she’d accustomed to the energic presence almost always to her side. 

She’d even admit it was pleasurable to be around at times. 

“Your boyfriend’s calling,” Nathaniel snarked ominously as he checked himself out of their conversation. 

Indignance surged in her expression, deflating once she couldn’t counter his snide comment, because, well he wasn’t exactly _wrong_ . But the deficit grin just _dripping_ with the intentions to tease her locked her furrowed brow still. 

“Well bye to you, too.” Alix collected her bag and slipped down the stairs where Kim was waving her over. “You’re always in such a hurry, you know our instructors are late every time, right?” 

His smile beamed like nothing she’d seen towards everything he looked at. He really could pull such marvelling expressions with his lips, from his grin to his smile. His smile particularly; it always seemed genuine, always could stretch level with his nose, and always—to anyone—make them feel genuinely happy too just by the sight of it – that infectious look he’d mastered; one he’d always had, but the clouds winked to let a sunray skate on his face and highlighted his joy, allowing it for a hiccup of time to be noticed in a new coloured way. 

“I know, I just like spending time with you—” 

Alix just hoped she was short enough for him not to catch the shy look she pulled. 

“—my... princess?” 

“Princess?” 

Kim nodded, looking her over as they turned a street corner. “Yep. You’re my princess now.” 

“Oh, am I?” She released a short laugh. His obsession with the pet names seemed to never stop. 

“Well, we are dating.” 

Momentarily, they paused in the footpath, staring at each other before erupting in a round of chuckles. The absurdity of their whole situation that they still lived in never failed to wrought their faces askew. 

“I keep forgetting about that,” she said honestly, completely lying. “If I’m your princess, you’re my slave then.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Yeah.” Confidence straddling her, she slipped the pastel bag off her shoulder and tossed it to him, his reflexes kicking in timely. “You doing stuff for me will improve our authenticity as a couple.” 

“Our what?” 

Alix sighed, fondly. 

“Whatever, just carry my bag if you want.” 

“It’s so light. What have you got in here? Nothing?” Being two steps ahead, her head snapped around at the metallic zip noise. “You haven’t even brought your skates.” 

“My old man said I shouldn’t since it might rain.” 

“But then you would have to walk in the rain?” 

She shrugged. “It’s better than face-planting into a bush. Besides, it’s not that far.” 

Her bag thumped on his back, the extra object nothing on him. “It does look like it’s about to rain.” 

Like it was jinxed, the sky groaned. 

“Lovely,” she said to the complaining clouds. 

“See! This is why we had to leave school in a hurry.” 

She opted not to bring his earlier comment back. “It’s fine, the rain won’t start for a while.” 

A patter filled their ears as rain started. 

“Well then.” 

Kim’s brow fixed to the clouds, a worrisome manner about him. That was another thing that amazed her about her fake-boyfriend – his ability to flip a demeanour-switch in 0.2 seconds. They had few curbs left to past before making it to Rue Hérold street. 

His teeth held his lip as the droplets smacked his cheeks. Alix peered at him, wondering when he’d verbalise whatever thought-spiral he was going through. He did something entirely different instead. 

Kim pried off his long-sleeved jacket—still the same brand as all his others—, revealing a workout singlet – again, same brand. Alix watched with a mix of surprise and intense endearment as he tried to lift it over their heads. Wordlessly, he nodded for her to come fully under to fulfil his mission. 

Alix’s mouth parted, the sky’s tears sliding off the chapped skin. “Uh...” she intoned cleverly. 

“Come on. I don’t want you to get wet.” 

The jacket fitted to Kim’s body, so when haloing them with its zipper undone, it could easily cover them both – granted Alix walked while flattened to Kim’s body. 

Bashfully, she moved herself in his space, her chest tightening when he silently claimed her distance not good enough and encircled his arm around her, leaving her no choice but to sandwich between his side and elbow. It was fine. Their distance was fine. Her breathing just short-circuited for a bit, that was all. 

“Thanks, Kim,” her voice fell, like a weightless sack of air that dissipated with the rain, splattering at her sneakers, and meaning nothing. She felt awfully small and powerless in how she’d uttered the appreciation. 

She didn’t see how Kim caught it attached to the pink of her cheeks, noting it like he had clasped it by a fist, pocketing them, in a way so contrasting to the softness of which she spoke it. Alix’s rare looks, he’d decided, were some of his favourites. He analysed every new one she’d let slip – when those sarcastic and apathetic walls didn’t structure her expressions. When she was soft, gentle, flustered, and releasing herself to chaotic, unguarded laughter were the times he couldn’t help but stare. 

“Of course, your highness.” He chuckled, relishing in the light jab to his ribs. “Superhero Kim is always here to save the day.” 

“We’re almost there, calm your self-praise.” 

“See, Alix, usually it’s the _girlfriend’s_ job to praise and love me. But I don’t see you doing squat, so I have to applaud myself.” 

She rolled her eyes, their pace slowing with how they had to walk so close but so in sync to avoid foot-tripping. “You don’t need me for that. You were great at it before we were ‘dating’.” 

“Was that a compliment?” 

“Not at all.” 

He feigned a gasp. “My love, but we’ve been dating for seven months—” 

“Apparently.” 

“—and you have yet to give me a compliment!” 

“You’re pretty,” she muttered, extremely, extremely quietly. In fact, so quietly, she could’ve sworn it didn’t leave her brain. 

It had. 

“I’m what?” 

“Pretty annoying,” she recovered effortlessly. “Where’s _my_ compliment?” 

“I am your biggest compliment, Violet.” 

She scoffed. 

“Whatever, slave.” 

* * *

When Kim and Alix shuffled down to the lower studio with the ends of their hair dripping the cloud’s lament on the matted floors, one thing they didn’t expect to see was Talia. 

Another thing were the noticeable cones, which colours clashed awfully with the modern neon panels, lined up in a direction that met back with itself in a circle-but-not-circle. Like a weird shape, tailing to pairs—just pairs—of equipment in what Kim could only label as stations, that eventually met back at the start. 

“Obstacle course,” was one thing they didn’t expect to _hear._

_"_ Caught in the rain too?” Estelle approached Alix’s side, who was gracefully shaking her hair abouts like some sort of dog. 

‘Too’ was a very generous word, considering José, her boyfriend, had given up using an offered towel and had stripped down to wring his shirt out. Estelle was quite a sight herself, the auburn tendrils that always secured style sagging meaninglessly with at least a of kilo of water sponged in them. Their school had been a little more distance than Dupont, but according to Estelle, that day was the _single_ one they opted to walk instead of bike. 

Kim couldn’t help snickering at that. 

“Are we late?” 

“Not at all, Talia’s just early. She probably had to set up all of this. We’re early too since we basically sprinted here.” She eyed Alix curiously. “How aren’t you that wet?” 

She ruffled her hair again went for the hair tie. “Kim used his jacket to shelter us.” 

The smile was honest. “That’s quite sweet of him.” 

“Uh, yeah I guess.” She crumpled a face at the stubborn band, stuck by the dishevelled hair’s claws and refusing to relent to Alix’s tugs. When what she’d said replayed, her orbs swerved to Estelle in alarm. “I’m just kidding, he’s the best gentleman out there.” 

As though he had Alix-in-struggle senses, Kim glanced over during his conversation with José, stepping over and taking her fiddling hands in his while his new friend followed. 

“Who’s the best gentleman?” 

Alix huffed, dropping her hands with resent and letting Kim toy with the damp strands. She tried really, really hard to be surprised that he managed to retrieve her hair band within seconds, but who could honestly rebuke all the time and devotion Kim spent with his own hair? 

“No one.” 

Estelle laughed, looking at her partner. “Jo didn’t have a coat to shelter us with.” 

“Or an umbrella,” he sulked. 

To Alix’s shock, Kim didn’t untie his own fingers from her hair. Initially, she supposed it was payback, but he strategically brushed his fingers through it as though it were a method of taming. José and Estelle continued to explain their situation and reconfirm the skate-date the next day as a distinct snapping sound rung next to Alix’s ear. She didn’t crane her neck, obeying Kim’s movements, and she soon found herself with usually carefree hair secured in a short ponytail. 

When Talia’s voice boomed, their friends commenced in forming to the centre. Alix finally snapped her head around, finding the face of someone who was far too proud (not surprisingly – it _was_ Kim after all) and rivalling it with a dead expression. 

“Really?” 

“It suits you.” 

She looked back, sporting a dubious smirk as she followed José and Estelle, shaking her head deliberately so Kim would see. 

“Babe,” he chuckled, “wait up.” 

“You’re just _slow.”_

His jaw dropped. 

“Hey! Watch your tongue.” 

“Watch your pace.” She flashed behind, ponytail swishing – the new, cute hairdo _he’d_ tied, the work of _his_ hands. That, paired with the downright devious look she sent him, sent tremors up his nerves. 

Kim stepped into foot with her. They made it to the rest of the pairs, sitting beside each other as Talia explained the afternoon’s agenda, poking fun at the few soaked pairs. 

Today, was about teamwork. 

Today, centred an obstacle course. 

Today, involved Kim and Alix—the two most challenging, rivalling daredevils of their school—joining as one to leave every other couple in the dust. 

Today, wasn’t about them fighting, versing, or competing against one another. 

They would fight _together_. 

Kim and Alix touched eyes. They experienced a contact like they never had before. It wasn’t scathingly competitive, their blood roaring with brave febricity, alighted as it always was at the chirp of ‘’competition” – No, because that kind always carried a veil of wanted destruction. Those were the smirking looks aimed to establish dominance and flare adrenaline before the gruesome event of Alix and Kim versing. But with the rooted connection they’d nurtured over the few weeks, their new grounds and closer friendship, how the activity would be them _together_ instead of _against –_ this eye contact was, despite less fierce, much more powerful; one that tied them, prepped them up as _one._

Yes, today, Alix and Kim would fight _together._

Today would be a good day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much thanks for all the kudos and comments <3


	17. Obstacle Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are an obstacle course in themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY (late) CHRISTMAS! Here's a (late) update! I've been on holiday and couldn't post so it's (late), yeah, but shh... shhh... it's worth it... i think... yeaah

“The obstacle course should help develop your teamwork. We’ll go over what you do each station, then I’ll hand each of you some questions to ask one another. The ones you don’t get finished will be your homework.”

Alix followed the herd as  Talia described the closest machinery. “Homework?” Her face scrunched. “No thanks.”

“It’s fine. I’ll eat the paper for us.”

They gazed at each other, Alix with a facial concoction of horror and bemusement, unable to take Kim’s seriousness and snapping it with quiet laughter.

“What’s worse is that I can’t tell if you’re kidding,” she said beneath  Talia’s bellows. “Don’t say anything weird tomorrow while we’re skating. I don’t want to have to explain why I got stuck with a strange boyfriend.”

“Because you love me.” His chin tilted with pride.

Not bothered to refute, she rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

They moved to each station, whispering their early strategies with each description on what do to and how long for. Alix would skip the 10 times as Kim whipped the jump-rope, Kim would climb the net-wall with Alix on his back, Alix would go first on the jump-pods as he climbed over her first , etcetera. 

But by the still, collective conformance to each pair, it seemed the others weren’t quietly planning like them. Maybe they didn’t take a gym obstacle course as seriously as them (they definitely didn’t), or didn’t know how to  subtly converse without being discernible to people standing right beside them. 

Kim supposed he and Alix had acquired a natural talent of getting away with mischief, explaining how no one narrowed eyes at their constant chatter. Neither misbehaved much (Kim not on purpose anyway), but together, it was two  courses of  restraint smashing into flames, bouncing ideas, bets, dares, challenging activities and humour. It justified how chaotic their pairing was and how together they could have fun with practically nothing. Max had once muttered, “Alix and you are quite a marvelling pair,” after Alix fell with him managing to climb five metres of the Eiffel Tower.

He didn’t understand at the time, but once the course commenced, it fuelled clarity. 

They went fifth.

Talia timed the couples as they stumbled and heaved. Reasonably, the course itself had been designed to test every ounce of breath and muscle in ones’ ignorant self, so then trying to go _fast –_ it made sense why the first, formally confident pair collapsed after the finishing station.

The second couple failed more eloquently than the first.

Between falling off the first stage of bars, tripping on each other at the jump-pods, and messing up the Over Under rhythm (where one went under the same overhead metal that the other went under despite bar-height difficulty, but in this case both had no idea what that meant), the onlookers slowly began to grasp that the challenge wasn’t as ‘simple’ as initially thought out.

“When we get to the pull up ring, go on top to crawl over the bars instead of using your arms.”

“Smart.” She nodded, observing female from Couple 3 drop off at the strain in her hands. “Then you can go under me, and we’ll finish faster.”

He grinned at his mind’s supplied alternative meaning. “You have such a way with words.”

“ _ Hey _ _! _ _ ”  _ Alix slapped him , though all things considered she couldn’t rein back her amused look . “Stop being gross.”

“Stop saying suggestive things!”

“Stop thinking —”

“ _ Gah!”  _

They were gloriously interrupted by the high-pitched shrill of Toby as his girlfriend crushed him.

The  tightness  of  Talia’s expression proved her own ignorance against this activity .

“Maybe we will suck.”

“Positivity, babe .” Kim slung am arm around her. Alix gazed with trepidation  towards  what had to be the fifth injury  amongst Toby and Richelle. “We’ll leave them in the dust. As long as we work great as a team, there’s no worry! I’m sure we’ll get the fastest time.”

“Mm, whatever.” She didn’t bother uncrossing her arms to shove Kim off. After all, it fuelled their couple-y appearance for the others .

She tried not to focus too much on the way he fingered  the hair of her ponytail in  a  bored instinct,  or the supplement weight since he wasn’t shy in leaning to her, or  how  nonchalant the occasional glances  were as though their image fitted the regular, like it were completely normal  for them ; like they were a  real  couple.

Alix also ignored the crushing realisation that, ‘ _ Everyone around you thinks you and Kim’s relationship is real.  _ _ People think you’re dating. People genuinely believe Kim and you are dating and that you go on dates  _ _ and kiss  _ _ and that you would never  _ _ throw a cupcake at his face in revenge if given the opportunity  _ _ how is that not weird— _ ‘

She zeroed in on the fourth couple’s techniques in distraction (third took so long people stopped watching and went to gym equipment).

They went better than the rest, which wasn’t too hard to do. They’d noted the mistakes of others  to some extent but that didn’t stifle the trips and groans and pain-stricken expressions  during the tenth push-up.  It was an acceptable attempt that apparently earned  a dramatic hug and kiss at the end despite deflated faces and half-tried smiles.

“We could do something like that when we finish for... authencity!” He remembered the word she’d used. “ After we  _ win _ .”

“Yeah.” She laughed, not  caring  if he was serious.

“Kim. Alix. Let’s see if you can  beat, um,  four  minutes.”

They went next.

They went hard.

They went fast.

And they went  _ good _ .

Kim and Alix had something combined the other couples didn’t, and that was an inordinate degree of competitiveness they’d bled to one many times in the past; a dense determination that wasn’t distracted by gooey-eyes and teamwork skills that only extended romantically. They cared about winning, so combined with their strength, strategy, and pre-planning, they made for a ruthless display (they were also one of the only pairs that cared, let alone tried.)

They had  noted  the mistakes of others, they were smart enough to think outside the box, and they  were fit. 

They were also amazing partners.

Kim and Alix had worked together before. They’d exploded their own Grade 3 diorama during the next lesson in science, they’d pulled pranks when they were, uh, younger, obviously not recently, they’d tamed havoc with some of the most colourful chaos—not the most wonderful examples, but moving on—and they’d eventually formed a type of mental tether in strategy and knowing  each others’ moves , what those side-looks meant, how to communicate with head-nods and etc. from their lacrosse sessions. Bets, dares, games, Phys Ed – they understood each other well in that type of area. 

(Many other couples also didn’t care that much. Like, at all real ly, witnessing  the difficulty. )

But Kim and Alix wouldn’t half-heart it. Before this spiral of lies transpired, they could already blend their skills nicely, but now it was different. Now they had the other’s company in a headlock, they’d shovelled deeper in meaningful friendship, they knew their accomplice’s least favourite song and what the tautness of their lips implied and how to send the other in a maze laughter (they also didn’t argue as much).

They trusted, respected, and understood each other more and more.  Their ol d status mixed with the new,  forming a conjoint  expertise  and communication as they powered each  equipment set , both knowing exactly what to do to get through the fastest.

It was  _ glorious. _

Plus, it was a  _ gym obstacle course _ – of course they made the fastest time !

They flew through the first set of bars, huffed during the push ups, made sure Alix had the short over-under lane, and completely crushed every station. Of course, sweat broke out like Ms Mendeleiev’s anger when Nathaniel got caught sleeping in class again, but it didn’t effect their efforts. After all, if Kim could keep going without catching up with air, then Alix could too. And if Alix could power to the next station without a pause, then Kim could as well.

They followed every step of their plan ,  skimming off more and more seconds .  And after the double  turbo  station, the last one, they didn’t  _ dare _ collapse — 

“Two minutes and  eleven  seconds ! Incredible you two !”

—but they  _ did _ do something entirely different instead .

It was  ecstasy’s fault, Kim would argue.  It was ecstasy’s fingers that hauled Alix up by her bare, damp waist.  It was excitement that v eiled  his  judgment like a drug.  It was the heat, the burn, the seething feeling  all during their  performance  that pushed him to level their faces – close. The heat wanted to be close, and the  adrenaline— specifically and especially  t he adrenaline of it all —

_ t _ _ hat  _ was what  smashed their lips together in a fiery, heart- vibrating embrace. 

Yeah, so, uh, they kissed, essentially.

And it wasn’t one-sided.

Though hasty as it was— Kim had twirled and kissed her faster than other couples celebrated their much less  impressive turns—it  jarred their minds for thirty times as long.

But again, not Kim’s fault. It just… happened , like their mental connection was still there and dragging them closer and closer and then they  _ both  _ just... yeah. __ And they’d pretend it never did  happen  most likely forever. 

Triumphantly, Kim and Alix high-fived on their way to the crowd, ignoring what they’d just exchanged. 

A kiss.

They’d exchanged a kiss.

Somehow, and Kim was pretty sure he’d just hallucinated, all that blood flowing at 20mph speed not helping him register what that tingling feeling on his lips meant.

“You guys were amazing!” José slapped  Kim  on the back, giving only him a knowing look , like he’d done something in the bro-code the latter never knew existed . “Nice job, man.”

“Thanks,  dude ,” Kim squeaked, fighting the  cycle of  thoughts only consisting ,  ‘ _ What on earth was that? _ _ ’. _

Because it had gone so well.  _ So,  _ so well. Sure, no one really cared since they didn’t view it as something to be ‘competitive’ about, but Kim and Alix ha d n’t felt so accomplished in a long time, and they had done it  _ together!  _ Every time they touched eyes through the course, it’d be identical ones of pride and excitement – It was  _ fun. _

The whole thing was  _ fun. _

It wasn’t so fun that it made sense to  _ kiss  _ each other at the end in a flurry of adrenaline. 

Did it?

No.

So why  _ did  _ he?

Kim curled his fingers on his shorts, choosing the wrong moment to glance at Alix – wrong, because she’d chosen the same. Their mortification blended into the pre-existing heat to their faces.

What’s more, why had  _ she _ ? 

The pressure on his mouth lingered. Her lips had been warm and as excited as his. He couldn’t shrug off how…  _ nice  _ it felt either; so relieving; so  _ good _ . He wondered if she felt the lingering strangeness too. The feeling disturbed him since it occupied all his attention from the last few obstacle tries, even most of José and Estelle’s, who made  s o mething o ver three minutes. 

It disturbed him enough to speak about it.

“Sorry about the end,” he whispered over to her. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Neither,” she rushed out, a released-breath quality about her word, as though it’d been  lifted  off her chest. “But  at least it  worked for our image,  which was what mattered.”

“Yeah.”

That was all that mattered. They could leave it at that.

“It was a nice kiss, though.”

—Or not.

He wanted to smack  himself  in the face. Either  he h ad a vendetta against  _ not  _ embarrassing himself  and saying stupid things, or  the previous exertion rendered him wholly without a filter. 

_ ‘What is wrong with me…?’ _

“It was alright.” She grinned (‘ _ Oh thank  _ **_ goodness _ ** —‘) , eyes on the next panting pair.  “ I hope it wasn’t obvious that  it  was only our second kiss.”

“Of course it wasn’t obvious , I excel in everything.”

“I ’d argue with that.”

“I’d argue with you.”

“You are.”

They met the other’s stated flatly.

“You just haven’t gotten the full Kim-experience yet.”

“Oh no,” Alix  threw out  sarcastically, as she did  most other words, “that sounds awful to miss.” 

“It is.”

“Mhm.”

He scrunched his face playfully.  “ Rude…” 

But the way she smirked away from him  made their conversation worth it.

In fact, he couldn’t  _ stop _ looking her direction as she watched and laughed with everyone at  the o ther couples that attempted the challenge, and no longer did her lips occupy his thoughts. 

All of her did. How perspiration dried hair to her forehead, the rest of it frazzled in the short ponytail  _ he’d _ done up. The enjoyment that danced in her eyes at every time-announcement that was longer than theirs.  The frame of her jaw.  The slope of her nose. The shape of her back as she slouched. The way her cropped athletic wear was loose and had a gap with her stomach from hanging off her chest. Unimportantly interesting  things he wondered  if had always been  there before. Attractive things. 

Their race had the fastest time, he thought . They’d worked so well together; Alix had offered such creative strategies. She’d tried so incredibly hard and blended her skills to his like a smoothie – a very victorious smoothie. He remembered his glances to her. The determination fixed in her gaze that reflected her body’s composure, how her speed made her loose crop flail elegantly, and the rewarding smiles that met him back when they chose to glance at the same time, both silently  _ knowing  _ how cool they looked. Alix was…

She was… ?

So… amazing? Well that would go a bit far – Kim was amazing himself, he’d remind anyone, but Alix…

Alix was— 

He shook his head fiercely.  _ Man,  _ what was wrong with his head today? What had that obstacle course  _ done?!  _ Alix  hadn’t changed, but he saw her like she had – likely from all this time that made him notice things most wouldn’t.

Alix was clearly around him too much. It’d explain why she was all he could think about. But still, as soon as he stopped, he went back – back to her frozen face after they’d kissed… her excited face right  _ before…  _ her closed eyes, smooth, exhausted but soft face  _ as _ they kissed—

‘ _Stop_!’ punctured holes on his thoughts over and over before they mended themselves. ‘ _Stop!_ _’_ couldn’t hold back the recollections of how amazing (‘ _Amazing? Ye_ _ah_ _, amazing.’)_ she performed in the course. And ‘ _Stop, Kim!_ ’ was definitely something Kim did _not_ do.

He was even thankful the end of the session rolled around to divert him.

Kim could hear the heavy rain start up again even being on the bottom level. He threw  out a sweat-towel and began patting himself down.

“ You …” 

Alix was collecting her things,  eyeing his tipped, paused mouth curiously. 

“Spit it, meathead.”

He  swallowed his throat’s dryness.

“You were really amazing today.”

Startlingly, Alix’s face depicted nothing better than surprise.

He  shoved the towel in  his school bag, looking  down . “ Just… wanted to let you know before I forgot.”

She hugged her bag . “Thank you, Kim. You were really awesome today too. We make a good team.”

He grinned brightly. “We do.”

José and Estelle waltzed by with their things. “See you on our double-date guys!”

“See you then!” they chorused.

The rain was even louder on ground level.

“We still don’t have an umbrella,” Kim said as they stood at the entrance. Other pairs seemed to have lifts or their own cars, and moved out earlier smoothly. The sky’s weeping had become as raucous as his thoughts. “In fact, I don’t think even an umbrella could cover for this.”

“Your house is quite far away.”

“Yeah .” He carded a hand through his hair. 

“You cool with  sleeping over ? We have a guest room.” 

He considered her for a bit. “Yeah. Yeah that would be good. Thanks. I’ll call my Mum  to let her know  when I get there.” Kim viewed the flooding streets. “How  _ do _ we get there?”

Alix’s brow was low towards the roads as she contemplated. Her eyes were quite  beautiful.

Her lip pee k ed up.

“Let’s make a run for it.”

He could almost hear Max’s disapprov ing, pitched voice, calculating the random percentages of safety hazards and how this will “67% end in one of you slipping over” – no, Max would try to scare him with “84” . But his thoughts were in enough of a cluster (as they had been after that dizzying kiss. Come on; had that  _ really  _ happened? It seemed a twisted dream at this point)  for his heart to surge with excitement, all rationale oppressed.

“Yeah!”

Alix bolted then. She was fast without her skates, her light bag clapping her bag as she swerved the worst of the puddles. 

They ran, they laughed, Alix even squealed something far too girly for her liking when Kim purposely splashed them – more than once; Kim seemed to know where all the best grey-pools to detonate were. Their bodies felt nice having the perspiration cleansed and heat compensated. The Louvre was only a few curbs away, so being layered with rain didn’t take too much of a toll on their journey (a toll on their appearance, maybe), especially with their fun.

Again, it was fun.

Alix  was fun.

And as they reached the household, a sheen  a heaviness  to their hair and water puddles at their feet,  grinning  unashamedly to the face of a very disappointed-but-not-surprised Mr. Kubdel, Kim admitted to himself,

Yeah, she was amazing.  They were both amazing.

They were a team now , after all.

He felt warm inside, but also plagued; his thoughts were plagued. Even as he brushed his teeth next to her, helped ruffle the weather from her hair with a towel, experience a set of domesticity —Alix styling him in Jalil’s old clothes, reminiscing the highlights of the obstacle to Alix’s father excitedly (not, um,  _ that  _ highlight), strolling her house like he lived there, bidding yawns and goodnights and nose-scrunching nicknames— that felt just a little but too pleasurable, he couldn’t shrug off a feeling that wouldn’t stop nagging him to pay mind.

But It was a great day. A great moment. A… normal occurrence?  Yeah. And the kiss? The unshakeable feelings; thoughts; heart thumping when they (she) laughed?  Whatever! Who cared?! It. Didn’t. Matter. 

Kim was fine.

It wasn’t weird.

Thinking about her uncontrollably wasn’t weird.  He had just spent the whole day with her, was all. A  _ fun _ , heart-warming day.

He sighed, lying on his bed awake too long that night, never being able to stop the looks casted her room’s direction – still plagued, like he was happy, but confused.  And yet, after tapping the wall out of struggle to sleep in what originally was a mindless instinct , the biggest smile spouted when he heard a tap back through the thin barrier. 

Alix went to school with a short ponytail the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They did an obstacle course together, they were amazing, they kissed, they ran in the rain, they had a sleepover and tapped through the walls - but dw, they're just friends


	18. Skate Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're such good friends that Kim likes to remind himself every minute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert tiktok autotune* thisss took foreveeeer but i hope it's woorrth iiit, so pleasse enjoyyyy and have a good weeekeeend, thank you for the kudos and commenttts, love youuuuuuus allll

“And then it was like she suddenly got cooler _—”_

“Right.” 

“—So I couldn’t stop looking at her after the course, because, it was Alix – Alix hasn’t always been that cool—” 

“Kim—” 

“—Like all those skills? Since when? Alix just became... amazing so fast since we’ve started dating—” 

“Fake dating.” 

“—Fake, yes, and it’s been so confusing since now she’s amazing and now I catch myself thinking about her because we spend _so much time together –_ and the thing is I’ve never gotten sick of hanging with her or bored much and I'm _always_ bored—” 

“Correct.” 

“—We always have fun together, too! Like last night we started tapping the _Twentieth_ _Century_ _Fox_ anthem through the walls which turned to the _Super_ _Penguino_ theme song and then– anyway we stayed up too late—” 

“As I’m speculating.” 

“—But I couldn’t go to sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking of the kiss—” 

“ _Excuse me_?” 

“—Which wasn’t even our first! And of course our first wasn’t that good because it was an accident but _this_ one,” Kim appeared more feverish by the second, “was with all our adrenaline so it felt awesome! Like as soon as we pulled away I just— I didn’t _want_ to? And that feeling was so _weird_ —” 

“Wait, _what_? —” 

“So now I have these feelings and thoughts and... desires? Ah, that sounds bad! I don’t know! I don’t know why she’s suddenly hot and has a chest like– I could’ve sworn she never had one before but it’s like having to look down her in gym clothes as she does horizontal sit-ups _on_ me—” 

“ _Kim!”_

Max had royally had _enough_. 

Two minutes and thirty-two point seven seconds felt like much longer when being drowned by another’s voice and bearing curt intervals to bob a head up, gasping for air – or in this matter, a chance to speak. 

Kim had come to him, so disorientated the two had sat alone at their own lunch table almost amidst the other class’s area. Alix had her hair different, the two had apparently had a sleepover without him, and Kim’s head was a mess. 

“When were you scheduling to tell me that you and Alix had shared a kiss?” 

Spaced out as he was, lunch untouched like it was waiting for a crummy Instagram photo-shoot, Kim’s eyes flittered up. The roof kept his attention and Max kept his patience (as Kim’s childhood best friend, he’d had enough practice to reserve his expression.) 

“I haven’t yet?” 

The answer carried no intention of surprise, received with an ‘of course’ sigh instead as Max spooned another soup mouthful. 

“You have not,” he said simply. 

“Oh. Sorry. I guess I haven’t been around much lately.” 

No, he hadn’t. It wasn’t the disturbing pattern that occurred during Ondine’s appearance (and Kim’s sudden swimming addiction), matched with unopened panic texts and waiting friends (and he had a history of never being late unless he forgot something), but Kim still hadn’t been around much. Max didn’t mind this time during the term with assessments and all – a key reason Kim had introduced this ‘beneficial’ gym timetable in the first place. He rollerbladed, though soon would be teaching Alix how to swim, did workouts Tuesday and Thursday, and studied some other days. 

Max took account of how jittery he’d been through the first lessons of the morning. His thoughts were likely frantic from all the stress keeping up with the extracurriculars. Of course, the more _obvious_ factor would be more ignored by Kim than any “ _Where are you?”_ texts during his impromptu adventures with Ondine. 

Unfortunately, this was _Max’s_ observation, meaning he would _definitely_ deliver the news and without dilly-dallying about it, as with any new speculations he had. 

“You like Alix.” 

Kim spluttered, choked with startlement. 

“Wh– _I do not.”_

_“_ You do. It’s quite apparent, even for me.” 

“Max,” he said, thick. “You know you’re speaking about _Alix_ , right? My Ali– friend Alix. You can’t say such wild things without giving me a heart attack.” 

“With your genetic heart health history and all biology considered the percentage chance for you to have a sudden occurrence of coronary thrombosis just from my—” 

“I get it.” His head sagged with the weight of Max’s statement, one uttered so defiantly and certain, like anything else he’d ever say. The weight wasn’t pleasant and beared on him with strain. 

He didn’t like Alix. He knew he didn’t like Alix. _Like-_ like her anyhow, because, again, Alix was his friend, as she’d always been, and a really good one he valued in his life at that – the funny-faces and immature tongue-protrusions friend. He wouldn’t litter words ‘love’ and ‘like’ around like advertising pamphlets, hoping it would satisfy the world while ignoring his heart, and only doing so much as hitting people in the face. 

Not again, anyway. 

Figuring out his feelings about it all wasn’t the problem. 

...Then what _was?_

_“_ You know me and Alix, Max.” 

“Alix and I.” 

Kim barrelled on. “We just do dumb stuff together. That’s all. We’re just doing it _more_ lately.” He seemed to be grappling with a need to sound casual, believable, but doing so as well as a drunk man grapples with his composure. “Pretending to date when neither of us know how to be romantic? How crazy is that!? Today we’re going to the Trocadéro with another couple on a skate date.” 

Brown pits of demeaning peered over the soggy cup. 

“As a joke.” 

“Was the ‘training’ a joke then? At the park with your description quite likewise to a romantic date?” 

“D-date? No! I just couldn’t show up not knowing how to rollerblade! And we just had fun. And ice cream.” 

Max flicked eyes between Kim and his soup. The circumstance was quite sad, in elementary terms. Kim was stressed and happier than ever at the same time: he had Alix, ‘amazing Alix’, on a hook, and couldn’t take the film of ‘old, normal-friend Alix’ from his vision. Then there was Ondine, someone who broke his heart and solved it at the same time. Max knew Kim was as confused in whatever that ‘relationship’ was as he was fumbling over his emotions about Alix now. 

Kim was scared to admit to feelings anymore after lying to himself about them once. All were fabricated until further notice. 

Though, it wasn’t like Max could even claim Kim had tousled emotions towards his gym partner (wait, why had he chosen Alix in the first place again?) – he simply wasn’t Kim, but that wouldn’t stop him from calculating percentage-predictions, which were significantly high. 

“I’m with her a lot, so we’re getting closer quickly. I think that’s why I’m going a bit mad.” Kim saw his orphaned assortment of food, its first acknowledgement in five minutes, and completely ignored it. “I’m sorry for springing this all up. My head’s been everywhere.” 

“Understood.” 

But Max only thought of the alleged kiss— _kisses—_ again, and what Nino’s reaction would be. He’d stiffen into a pillar of salt, dropping the indignance quick enough to start hollering about how they _had_ to kiss because they were _fake dating_ , ignoring how they didn’t _really_ have to. 

And then there were the girls. As far as Max was certain, which he always was, they didn’t care. Not much, anyway. Adrien had brought it to Marinette—a version more conscious—and was startled by the cry of laughter so sudden it seemed to snap like a Christmas bonbon. 

Max had complied interviews that lacked serious responses. Myléne (“And– You said Alix, right? Did you? _The_ Alix? I thought that thing was a joke. Their relationship’s fake, isn’t it?”) couldn’t stop looking around for lurking cameras, it appeared, to confirm some prank she’d been caught in again. 

Then Juleka was a lost cause, seeing as Max only collected thirty percent of words muttered – and negative to his side, at that (something about Alix’s fun names like ‘meathead’ and how it’ll never work). He approached Rose to scour some inkling of hope but was left parched as even _she—_ after going on about how “ _romantic~”_ it all was (sweating in a gym until true love flamed? Sure)—ended the fantastical croons with, “It is Alix though. But I love the idea!” 

He counted it as his side, anyway. 

Point was, Max figuratively “shipped” (as the kids called it) his two unlikely delinquents he’d brought under his wing since Primary. Not because he’d placed a worthless bet just to mess with Nino’s ego, but because— 

“Alix! No skating in the cafeteria! You’ve been warned about this!” 

His friend’s head shot up, searching for the admonished. Their eyes landed on each other's and devious grins broke out, lingering a moment as they shared... whatever on earth that was, before Alix tipped her head back and begrudgingly glided back to her table. 

Kim’s fond mask remained strapped as he let out a chuckle. 

—because Max hadn’t seen his best friend so happy in a long time. 

* * *

Did Alix mention how awesome Kim was enough? 

Because watching some broad-shoulders dimwit stick to concrete in an insulting Spiderman-eques position made her think it was _not_ enough. 

They hadn’t been at the Trocadéro long, sweat tattoos from lacrosse ticklish in the wind, early and chilling with the pigeons, when Kim had found a _pole._

Not just any pole, mind you, the thickest, most unclimbable-to-man pole that any passer-by who wasn’t constantly on the search for idiot things to scour would mistake as a _beam_ _._

And here Kim was, trying to scale it. 

“If you die, shots not writing the memoire.” 

He scoffed, the ‘pole’s’ face volleying his warm breath so it stung his eyes. “I won’t die.” 

“Okay, if you get hurt then,” she shrugged up her– _Kim’s_ sleeve (they’d formed the idea that she wear his lacrosse jersey (the clean one) for the ‘look’) without spearing a second to miss the show, “don’t expect me not to laugh.” 

He found another crooked groove in the structure. “You won’t be laughing when you finally toughen up and join me.” 

“As much fun as dry-humping a wall looks from behind, I’m gonna have to pass.” 

“Ah, checking out my rear again, are you?”

Never mind, she mentioned his awesomeness quite enough already. 

If she had time to abolish the panic sickening her senses, she would’ve noted luck’s kindness for seating Kim’s shoulder blades (that jagged through the shirt’s thin fabric quite nicely) to be the only witness to her face colour. “A- _again?_ What do you mean—” 

“Think I didn’t notice you ogling me all last Thursday when you wouldn’t move of the treadbike?” 

Thank grace for the pigeons’ chatter to interrupt what would’ve been Kim’s most powerful silence. 

“I was- it wasn’t-” 

“I get it, princess,” Kim said coolly, might have being able to achieve some air of superiority if not for his Anansi pose. "It is _ass_ -stounding, really. I’m Kardashian _thick_.” 

She slapped her shorts. “You know what?” Her heart thumped in her ears. “I think I won’t even attend the funeral service.” 

“If I do die this way,” he chipped up another inch, “I’ll be putting the ‘fun’ in ‘funeral’.” 

“You’re seriously having fun?” 

“Challenges are always fun!” 

“I think _I’m_ having more fun watching you squirm helplessly like a bug on its back.” 

“Of course _you’re_ having more fun, you’ve got the thickness of my physique to look at.” 

The intensity of her scoff rippled through her chest. 

A pram passed a while a way, and Alix held her breath hoping the father wouldn’t look their direction. She enjoyed their friends being yet to arrive on time, since, sneaking a glance to Kim’s suddenly protruding behind (“Honestly…” she muttered. “Now he’s just showing off.), figuring out what on earth she was supposed to say to explain the scene deserved generous time. 

She palmed her eyes, pink bangs feathering her knuckles as she dismissed the urge to eye Kim again; Kim, by some miracle, halfway up the thick beam that held the stairs; Kim no less than elegant as he mimicked an abused mosquito; Alix, his posing lover hiding her face in shame as she dreaded the arrival of a mortified explanation. Maybe they should settle in some couple position before their meet up time hit. Like if they… if— 

_Uh,_

_Mmm..._ **No**. 

Alix bit the inside of her cheek, mentally bleaching the intrusion of images. 

Noooo thank you. 

‘ _Gross, gross, gross, gross, why did you imagine that why did you imagine—’_

As if he could read her thoughts, Kim craned his neck when reaching the furthest quarter of the beam. “You’re awfully quiet. Dreaming of my ass again?” 

“I’m dreaming up a way to excuse your _ass_ to our oncoming guests.” 

“They won’t be early.” 

“They might,” she grumbled. 

“Well if they are, they get to see me finish this cool thing.” The beige brick sunk under him as hinged to the wall’s lip, bracing his shoulders to raise. Alix looked at her prince up in the tower. “Babe! Look! Alix, I did it! I'm on top of the world!” 

Something flamed, something warm and unpleasantly pleasant; like an unpreceded sweet scorching every inch of her mouth – but in this case, tamed by the sight of Kim’s infamous pose, it burst in her chest. What caused it? His smile? His voice? His position? The way he said her name? 

All the above? 

Her thoughts screeched to a halt. 

_Ew_ _,_ was what she how she was _supposed_ to be dealing with that revolting feeling, not _dwelling_ on it. Gross. 

“That’s wicked, Kim!” 

He beamed brighter. 

“Come up with me!” 

“Sorry! Not stupid enough!” 

“ _Alix_ _,”_ he whined. 

_“Kim.”_

Honestly, the outer-image of their stare-down was hilarious. 

José and Estelle’s contribution was even better. 

“How about you stop being a punk and climb down before I have to explain why you’re up a wall?” 

An audience member revealed themselves from behind the stairs. 

“Uh, hey?” 

Kim screeched. 

* * *

After Kim’s graceful fall, a fresh bruise on the rear he’d just wrote poetry about, awkward greetings and an Alix who couldn’t stop snickering, the date commenced – the double date Kim and Alix soon realised they had _absolutely no preparation on_. 

Skating was the _least_ of their worries. It also happened to be the _least_ of the date. 

The picnic was the first thing, apparently brought for everyone. There were aloof conversations and flirting and handholding and twirling on blades and so. many. looks. _Those_ looks. Ones of romantic promises and unspoken, ‘ _I love_ _you’_ s _-_ movie looks; Adrien and Marinette looks. Kim and Alix had never been on a date, but it happened their first was being on someone _else's_. José and Estelle were legitimately cool people. They bounced energy with Kim and Alix effectively. Interests paired, sport struggles synched, and laughs sponged the area. 

Then the sun pooled the horizon. 

It didn’t take long before evening’s light smacked Kim and Alix’s friend-fun in the face as the _real_ couple felt the shifts of the earth; the soft, low vibe and mellow infiltration that promised feelings of romance, tenderness, and surely coils of disgust in Alix. 

They were left third-wheeling. Together. As one; one cringing, out-of-place, confused pair. 

“They keep kissing as they skate.” 

“I know right?” 

José and Estelle had coddled arms, gliding on the track in front at a pace that made inline-skating-derby-winner Alix breathe a deepness of the ocean every two minutes. The other two couldn’t stop avoiding eyes, whispering their dubiety, as the silent understanding that they kind of had to _do_ something couple-ish some time or another pressed into their comfort. 

Orange embers sunk with the weight of night, glowing against Kim’s left cheek. Alix caught his face and wondered how to make normal of the situation. 

“They may as well merge bodies.” 

“Do all couples do that?” 

“Merge bodies or skate like that?” 

They’d been silently hissing since evening hit. 

“I already know they merge bodies,” he muttered with a half-grin/half-grimace, enjoying how Alix almost fell. “That’s not how you skate. I’d say that’s rolling on wheels while stuck to someone.” 

Their blades rolled beneath them, declining in speed as they watched the couple glide forward together in a way that seemed they may as well have been slow-dancing. 

“Oh no, Kim don’t look they’re kissing again.” 

He scoffed. “My innocence shattered when we went off to race and left them alone on the stairs.” 

“Weird how different you turn when attached to another person wanting to suck your lips off your face,” she mused, exchanging glances between Kim, the couple, and the sunset. “This has been going on for a while. I think they’re picking up that we’re lying.” 

“We’re hopeless.” Kim sighed. “What do we do?” 

Her eyes dipped to his hand. She reached for it with no warning. 

Tingles surged through his arm. 

“For when they turn their heads.” 

“Right,” he agreed, ignoring the softness of her hand and its petite shape. He ducked his head to secure they couldn’t even hear muttering. “Maybe if we go sneak off and make out somewhere we’ll fool them.” 

The retort had been a complete unbidden joke. An assuring laugh would’ve been nice, not watching a neck snap to him like it got whiplash, paired with a look a little too passive, mouth a little too parted, and eyes a little too unnerving. His heart tightened with panic. 

“I mea—” 

“We could, couldn’t we?” 

The words charged more adrenaline than falling off the beam earlier. In the same way his body soared, every tangible and intangible thing in his chest did. 

Curse the light from slipping away from him, each sheen of illume lifting from Alix’s face so he couldn’t read her. Was she kidding? Was she serious? ‘ _Please, please be serious’_ , his hormonal brain portion, and only that portion (he’d argue, lying), begged. Anything was better than trailing a couple at a painstaking speed and only feeling awkward and pressure to mirror them. 

He stopped cursing the light and cursed his thoughts instead. 

‘ _Traitors,’_ he scolded. ‘ _Alix is our_ friend **_.’_ **

She tugged him with a chuckle, and fleetingly he pondered if they were being dragged to the nearest bush, but that was nullified when they reached the abandoned picnic scattered with unused food. 

“Or we could do the next best thing. Eat like loners on our own date.” 

Observing the in-love couple with a sigh, he agreed. 

_‘_ _Alix is our f_ _riend_ _,_ _’_ he reminded as she began aiming grapes at his mouth, her laughter at his perfect catches disturbing butterflies in his gut. 

‘ _Friend,’_ he thought louder, the sewed _8_ of _his_ lacrosse jersey smoothing out on her body as she lay down. 

‘ _Friend,’_ he hammered in, focussing far too hard on the hand that had grabbed his again (“ _In case they glimpse.”)_ as he lay beside her, with its warm hold and lack of sweat. 

“Argh, they keep looking over. Quick.” 

‘ _Friend, friend, friend, friend—’_ rang like church bells as they sat up, the moon’s glint in her blue marbles dancing, palm soft on his face, but texture where her blading accidents had taken their swings. 

Alix’s eyes darted, securing their audience as she glimpsed at his tipped lips. 

**‘** **_Friend_ ** _,’_ punched him in such a violent manner, challenging the fragility of her look, mocking the hesitance of her glossed lips _(glossed?),_ inching forward until aligning them with his ready ones. 

Kim took her mouth, hoping to naturalise their kiss and make her feel more comfortable; less stiff. He grinned into it when her small hand slid past his jaw and to the base of his hair. This time, accidents and adrenaline weren’t in his way of savouring the moment, letting him zero in on her touch, the quick movement of her lips; their softness, their... niceness. Her slipped sigh affected him more than he predicted. 

He’d only ever kissed Alix, a fact he wouldn’t stew on long, but he quite enjoyed kissing, even with the quickness of each one they shared. 

“They better not second-guess us.” Alix smiled derisively as she detached. Thankfully, he stopped his instincts before they pulled her back in (the evening’s light and lack of people really was a love-drug, wasn’t it?). 

Yeah, ‘friends’ his Kardashian-bruised ass. 

Alix sat back in the most unladylike fashion possible like nothing had happened, seeing José twirl his girlfriend on her skates. He caught sight of how her tongue swept up her lip before she searched for more food without reaching his eye. 

No, second-guessing seemed to be Kim’s job now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~  
>  (we all saw the evidence in time-breaker)  
>  ~~
> 
> right but was that kiss not magical bc like-


	19. For Real This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But why? 
> 
> Why?! 
> 
> Kim's jaw firmed. 
> 
> He knew why. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* Uh, hi, did I- um, did I mention how great you looked today? Because you look great. And you are such a lovely contribution to earth you know. And, uh, *sweats*, 
> 
> OK GUYS LOOK IM SORRY BUT ITS HERE AND I LOVE YOU
> 
> long story short: sub laptop got older, school laptop came, archive blocked (moment of silence), my life ruined until sub laptop worked again (still poorly), now I write on school's then transfer to sub to post and also I have killer writing block for a story I haven't written in a while but yeah this is suddenly a long story 
> 
> But positively! I'm more active on [ Tumblr ](https://inherentlyempressed.tumblr.com/) \- where I write stuff not on archive, post stupid concepts etc, and mention this story sometimes (again apologies but plot is thicc now)

“Yeah, we kissed? So?” 

“ _So_ ?!” Alya hollered, sticking to her so-called “serious” interview quite pathetically. “You just kissed him? Just like that? _Kim?”_

The more Alix seemed to be nodding off on Marinette’s chaise, the more her crowd got exasperate. For that reason ( _nothing_ to do with lying awake in her bed mentally untwining the tightness in her chest from last night) and that reason _only_ , she faded with irritable purpose. 

“Three times.” 

“ _What?”_

Man, Alix hated being the centre of attention during the girl squad meets, but passively riling Alya up was so rewarding she just couldn’t help it ( _nothing_ to do with that orphaned voice in her mind whimpering with desire to share her atypical endeavours to _someone)._ Besides, Adrien and Marinette weren’t an issue anymore – no matter how many times Alix complained that, “24/7 public displays of affection totally _were”._ Who else was there to torment? 

It started off hilarious. Just out of the hat statements going along with the innocent questions Thursday lunch break (having a friend live so close to the school was _awesome_.) It was all girls at once until Alya wouldn’t let anyone else steer the interview. She’d clearly overestimated Nathaniel’s level of insufferable by his cryptic remarks ‘off-hand’ questions in the art room. If the extra level of Alya’s expression was any indication, she begun to think maybe she said too much. 

“Mhm.” 

“Alix, you—” She was all hands and bafflement, frantic waving that nearly managed to catch a sewing Marinette in the head. Then she said lowly, “Girl. Kissing is a serious thing.” 

“Like this interview?” she mused. 

“Like so not the _point.”_

“If we did it in character, it wasn’t us.” She rolled her eyes. The other three girls had set-up a quaint card game to fill their lunch slot, tuned and often voicing their own bewilderment. But at this stage, it was a repetitive cycle between Alya and Alix. “Who cares? The kiss was whatever. Not like we felt anything.” 

“But- But you have to feel something!” 

No. She didn’t have to feel _anything._

And she _wouldn’t._

“Oh kissing is just so wonderful and romantic! I’m almost jealous of Alix describing such dreamy scenes!” 

Alix flushed and bulleted a look to whimsical Rose. “Wh- That’s totally wrong. Kim? Dreamy? Gross.” A brow shot up under Alya’s glasses. “One was an accident. One was… one was an accident I guess too. And the other—” 

The other. 

Ha. The _other_. 

_Thaaaat_ one. The one she knew _every_ . _detail_ . about because she’d replayed the moment on repeat – not by her own will, of course. Intrusive thoughts and memories could be a pain with all of those sever particulars: Kim’s dominance when stealing her lips. The slight mouth partings on both their behalves. Her slipped sigh she would’ve been mortified over if it hadn’t caused Kim to feverishly take hold of her neck so… _uhh_ -ly . 

She coughed. _Gross._

No, the “other” certainly wasn’t an accident. 

She hadn’t had a feeling– no, _moment_ like that before. Her brain’s response classed as natural. It was something you simply couldn’t forget. 

Alix crossed her arms. That was _all._

“…was for the cover.” 

“Cover?” She wanted nothing more than to splash the delight painted over her friend. “You _needed_ to kiss him?” 

“Yes!” 

(… _Did_ she?) 

(Did the others even _see?)_

Alix schooled herself quickly. _She_ was supposed to be the quiet and sly superior. This was all old news anyway and what had happened, happened. 

“Alya, maybe you should let Alix be,” Mylene peeped up meekly. “She doesn’t have to view kissing the same as you do. She’s just doing Kim a favour.” 

Alya’s lips pursed, eyes sceptic. “A pretty _big_ favour.” 

Not for the fifth time that lunch break at the Dupain-Cheng’s, Alix rolled her eyes. 

“It’s just Alix, Alya. She would tell us is something more was going on.” 

Alya sliced a look Marinette’s way. “Yeah but the be– the–”she caught herself, exasperation sinking, and swallowed, “–the…” 

“The _what_ Alya?” Alix hissed. 

“The be…tter off you’d feel with a boyfriend!” 

Marinette lowered her head on the sewing machine with a muttered, “ _Oh for goodness sake_ …” 

“Better I’d feel? Are you saying I need a dude or something?” 

“No, no! It’s just– It’s a nice feeling, and… you know _I_ used to hate the idea as well, but–” 

“But now you sneak off in assembly with Nino. Gotcha,” she said, everything flat – tone, voice, stare – elbows hitched back on the chaise and legs half-heartedly crossed. Tiredness tried to lull her eyes and lids down, but they stopped on the card game she wasn’t a part of. 

Alya’s tongue clicked. “What-ever, just know if anything _does_ happen, with feelings or anything else, we’re all here for you girl. Remember that.” 

The four other girls hummed agreeingly in such a way as if she _did_ need to go to them. It sickened her, a mumble from Juleka about the game breaking any response she could’ve given. 

Could lunch go by any slower? 

* * *

Alix and Kim knew they hit rock-bottom in free time when they had to go for a night swim. 

Kim promised his parents he could hike his grades and manage extracurriculars on top of it. Ignorant days those wistful oaths were, but somehow, he stuck to his word. But to keep any spare time for fuelling realism to their lie, it seemed teaching Alix to swim laps at sun’s retreat was the only available option. 

—One, with the previous gym class, Kim didn’t mind at all. 

That afternoon at midtown, class felt like a legitimate breath-thieving class (no pang of disappointment at all). It was all sweat and pants and mental clinking, that favoured fancy scent and Alix’s company being the only thing keeping Kim from ditching for the pool straight away. 

Mostly, the duo loitered around the rows of hand weights on the curved rack. Alix ditched at one point to the lines of colour-tagged dumbbells, but besides that, they worked out – silence thick – together. 

At one point their friends thanked them for a wonderful evening and set the swimming date. Kim’s cheeks flared up at the mention of the night before, every moment crusted into the shape of his memory and jolting him at the slightest remembrance. He chastised himself each time; Alix surely wasn’t dwelling on any of it—she just… _wouldn’t_ —so why should he? 

They’d dodged the topic. Ducked, darted and flat-out _ran_ from it. At least, that’s what it _felt_ like. 

The kiss. 

A pretty hot, pretty _terrific_ kiss. 

And that was the thing – it was _good._ They’d manipulated the ‘unspoken rules’ just a little ( _were_ there rules anymore? Was there ever any?), so now kissing was a thing. It had to be. But if it had been a peck, no dopamine, oxytocin, flutters of eyes, slightly curious touches, or that– _oh_ that _sigh_ she made attached, then they’d likely be jeering around as usual. 

Kim couldn’t stop side-glancing to her lips. 

Honestly, what was _wrong_ with him? 

“I think I’m insane for saying this, but I’m actually stoked to be going to do laps.” 

Midtown squatted adjacent to the under-dressed community pool – conveniently, for two hotly damped teens struggling to make much of their lungs after the lesson had finished. 

“Look who’s coming to their senses.” He grinned, ruffing a coral towel on his head and going in for hers. She eeped, ducking her mused hair and in turn, sharply tugging the item from him and whipping. “Ouch!” Kim laughed. “Hey, where were you in the boy’s locker room lunch break? We could’ve won.” 

“Marinette’s.” She flicked the item across her shoulder smartly. It assured confidence to the eye, but her ruffled hair just made it so much better. “Interrogation.” 

“Interrogation?” 

She nodded. “ _Us.”_

“Oh.” Kim’s mouth fell. He shoved away the door and let her in first, following. 

The girls talked about _them?_ In what way? Curious? Protective? Did they… No. Never mind. 

“I guess they haven’t done anything so cool.” Alix watched as he swung the gate behind. Kim ignored the humiliation that burned in his gut after taking inference from her words. Their ‘so cool’ thing must’ve been their membership and extracurriculars. “Anyway, time to get this gross sweat off.” 

He squared his arms at the benches where they’d tossed their stuff. The sun would’ve been relaxing by now, so did they really have a time limit? Their parents just said “have fun” so really after this they could chill around Paris at night, maybe get a late dessert, collect random trinkets lying around, visit the Eiffel tower lit up, see who could climb higher on alley wall— 

What. 

He stilled. 

_‘What is she doing what is she doing what is she doing— oh.’_

Alix had begun prying her shirt off, to his wordless horror, and thankfully…. yeah, thankfully… revealing a bathing suit top that covered enough for him to know it wasn’t it a sports bra. 

She saw him staring as she shimmied off her shorts. “My one-piece would’ve been too hot in the gym.” 

“Too hot… yeah…” He swallowed sharply; a cough punched out of him no later. “Well! We can’t waste any time, so let’s—” 

“Aren’t you changing?” 

His foot pressed close to the edge. Her expression pressed close to amusement. Almost jumping in the pool fully dressed was such a _him_ move Alix had to place two fingers on her lips in restraint. 

Nervously, he laughed at himself, wondering when the atmosphere became so _pensive._ He shrugged off his top. Alix’s gaze trailed his motions, languidly glued even after he’d tossed it aside. Kim searched for his missing cap and realised he wasn’t swimming, but teaching, and wouldn’t need it anyway. 

They slid in. The flexible coat drawled around them, undressing the worst of their workout so sighs came incessantly; the ideal cool-down after such an antagonising afternoon. 

Why did she agree to learn laps again? 

“Okay Alix! Are you ready?” 

No. 

The water was nice. It felt nice. Her starfish position was nice. She didn’t want to move. 

Kim glided for her. “You baby,” a flick of water spurted on her nose, “come on.” 

Her chin ebbed down, eyes glazing above on an angle just so she could catch his eye. 

“ _Your_ baby.” 

Well, that just about did him in. 

She chuckled at herself and his persistence for her to “take this seriously”. It took dedicated egging. The pool lights were dim; Kim was tight enough with the owner to grant him late-night access, guaranteed he finished the last stage of closing up. Their start, considering the ache already, was slow. 

He wanted to be as understanding and patient as he could with Alix, even if they remained there until midnight, since swimming clearly didn’t ease her as much as it did him. She hadn’t admitted directly that she was scared, but Kim wouldn’t take any chances. 

So he instructed her with hesitant movements. He remembered the days his dad taught him to swim, how little he was. The feeling of nostalgia, and something else, swelled when helping Alix. It brought back memories and happiness. He never thought he’d get the pleasure to teach anyone (he tried with Markov. That needn’t to be brought up again). 

He’d teach her the strokes standing on the edge for good visual. She’d make sarcastic comments and continuous “Why on earth does it matter where my pinkie is?”, then he’d have her show him. Once approved, he’d slip back in the pool and trail her paced laps, occasionally guiding her hands into their proper place or straightening her back. A few times fixing her feet she’d choke laughing in the water because it tickled. It was adorable. 

His voice echoed through the centre. With instructions, anecdotes about himself spawned up—his history with swimming, its benefits, how it helped him at the gym—which she usually would’ve shut him up about, but it didn’t particularly seem like _bragging_ ; it was interesting. She found a certain liking to the way he spoke of his passion. It didn’t carry the same air or ‘trying to impress’ like other times; this was different, enamouring, and she just felt… closer; closer to him. Yeah. 

Kim and Alix never shared much personal stuff. Their friendship before this whole thing was straight to the point; jokes, competitions; egging. No backstories or childhood tales – they didn’t dawdle or find themselves in such positions. But it seemed through this, she’d unlocked a part of Kim that made her understand him more. He was opening-up, in a way. Kim’s face as he talked… just, wow. Had he always looked that earnest and open? 

Alix appeared dedicated despite her indifferent attitudes. Her confidence in the water firmed – she trusted him. She surely didn’t know _how_ but being in Kim’s presence lately occupied her with a safe feeling. Though, she’d seen what he could bench-press. Maybe that was why. 

(She knew it wasn’t.) 

“You’re doing great.” 

Alix went vertical in the water, googles seated like a hairband. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah!” 

Her smile was cute. 

“You’re… a very good teacher. Thanks for not getting frustrated, I guess. I’m new to this.” 

His heart rate picked up. His mouth shaped into a small “o”. 

“Do you…?” He swallowed. “Are you feeling confident?” 

“More, yeah. I’m not terrified anymore.” 

“ _Ha!_ You _were_ scared!” 

A splash to his face filled his nostrils within a second. 

“No! I was—” 

“ _Scared.”_

Now the dynamic felt regular. 

He saw Alix scrunch her face through muffled vision as he had to wipe his eyes a second time. 

“I just never liked swimming!” She scowled prematurely. “I was bad at it as a kid – being smaller, and all. Teased a little, got over it, but still haven’t found it in myself to like strokes.” Another cup of chlorinated liquid stung his eyes. “ _Happy?”_

That Alix just admitted he was right from the start? Very. 

“Chill, Violet– or _violent_ , I should say.” He laughed at himself and got strangled by the water that entered his mouth, eloquent sounds gagging back out. “Hey!” 

She squeaked when a wave layered her. His hands could push much more water. 

Their next five minutes of, splashing, ducking, spitting, eye-rubbing, and yelping proved that. 

_Man_ , how he loved her company. 

“I never mentioned.” Their time had finished. Kim hauled her up seeing she was struggling getting over the edge. She kept in her noise of shock, and quietly thanked him. “You’re a really good swimmer for a beginner.” 

“Sure.” She flicked his water bottle cap and eyed his physique as he clambered expertly out, downing the contents. 

“I mean it, Pinkie Pie.” 

He approached her. Close. He snatched the flask mid-entrance and covered his mouth on the rim, staring directly in her large, unblinking eyes as he dripped overtly. 

“You with your nicknames,” she muttered, hiding the new face colour (what was _that_ about?) and slipping a towel around her neck. 

“They’re cute.” 

Her tongue clicked. “Right.” 

That time, she couldn’t hide her face from Kim’s. He looked pathetic as his body rained without care. He stared with such open… something. It was open, trivially. His eyes, that _look._ Open, fond, and… entranced. 

“What?” 

“You really did good.” He beamed. “Just accept it.” 

She tossed him his towel to let him stop dripping on her toes. He took It, but only wiped his hands. “ _You_ were the one who taught me.” 

“ _You_ were the one who listened.” 

Compliments. Odd, especially for two people who once argued about how many macaroons they could stuff in their mouth for an hour before actually proving it. But they also were in the unlikely position of mentoring the other one Thursday evening at the pool, late, tired, and the thought of that kiss lingering their minds. 

Kim smiled brighter. Alix smiled right back. 

Something strained in his ribs. 

“But seriously, thanks for this,” Alix said, so _softly_ while looking so, so _soft_ , the towel sticking to disobedient pink tuffs and that ponytail somehow still intact behind, her face framed by the utterly soft material. And by all means he thought appropriate to feel ordinately soft just _looking_ at her, (somehow) upright quiff leaving droplets stupidly on his nose as he did. 

The blue of her eyes, royal and alight, poured into is as though a silent conversation was being exchanged. Kim had no idea what that conversation was, but he didn’t mind staring into her eyes for a little longer. 

She was beautiful. 

He suddenly wanted to kiss her again. He _wanted_ to. He wanted to hold her, laugh with her, and mess with her all in once, crushing second. 

But _why_? 

_Why_?! 

Kim's jaw firmed. 

He knew why. 

The towel limped in a dry hand; mouth dumbfounded as Alix stepped closer. 

“No problem,” finally came out when two petite arms strapped around his bulk shape. Her face became wet by the undealt chest but she squeezed him anyway. 

Softly. 

He hugged her back, running a hand up her damped back before settling on the towel. Something churned and burned and ran up his veins until his fingers almost felt tingly. The wanton striking, in reality, hadn’t been as sudden as he wanted to believe. It had been stirring, waiting, presently there until some external force acted on it to make his brain actually _notice_ it had been lingering the whole time. 

And by it, a single realisation pelted him. 

Alix pulled away all too quickly. 

“I mean it, you really helped me in the water today,” and as if it hurt not to put normalcy to it, she knocked the same chest she’d been cuddling with a fist, “meathead.” 

Kim. Was. _Screwed._

* * *

Friday morning was an ongoing flashback to everything of Thursday provided by his brain. After she had to _obliterate_ him with that hug and _look_ , they didn’t go home, but instead had late night churros in front of the glowing Eiffel – as if the world just wanted to make it _that_ clear of his horrifying epiphany. 

One _so_ horrifying, it lead him sprinting to Max’s (at least they lived near) before school had even _started_ , a rare occasion almost dried to extinction ever since the gym course left him sluggish at eight. But it wasn’t to stride with him to Dupont this time. 

Mrs Kanté allowed his frantic self in. 

“ _Kim_?” 

7:03 blinked on the digitally handcrafted clock when Kim barged through his best friend’s door. 

Max jolted; his suspenders partway clipped. Markov buzzed awake on the desk by his creator’s startled cry. 

A spectacle framed his doorway. 

Bag strapped but unzipped, hoodie strings unjustly tugged (to be fair they never weren’t), and so many opportunities for analysation just by his best friend’s expression. 

Max got practically nothing out. 

“Wh—” 

And like some unhindered declaration by someone who forgot what ‘good morning’s were, 

“I need to be Alix’s boyfriend!” 

Breaths. Pants. Silence. 

An idiot in the threshold. 

Max tutted and bumped his glasses up like the oblivious teen he usually wasn’t. 

“Kim, we’ve been over this. I’ve helped you already: the _list,_ remember—” 

“No.” 

His eyes were vulnerable, pleading, chest moving with laboured inhales. Kim could run a fair way without heaving. The adrenaline had gripped him. 

His righted, posture moulding with confidence and height levelling itself with Max’s bookshelf. 

“For real this time.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (yea i got squeals too)


	20. Breaking the Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, they could be in public, surrounded by friends, and not have to act 
> 
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no ofc i wouldnt ditch this don't even panic i'm just lazy

“You invited everyone?”

“Not  _ everyone, _ ” Alix retorted, striding against busying Parisians and causing Kim to  work  his pace occasionally. “Just like, everyone but Sabrina and Chloé. Ha, not like they  _ would’ve  _ come.”

She was talking to herself, but it wasn’t like Kim was very fond of  _ listening  _ this time. He seemed swept up in his own world, keeping closed and asking questions that could mean anything, and then there was that—that way he  _ couldn’t  _ look at her. Like… she didn’t know. But she  kind of  missed the soft way his gaze poured and made feel all those nice “things”; that worth iness;  calm, safe –  _ no.  _ No. No, her thoughts couldn’t spin.  Not now.

Not when her feelings were.

She bit her cheek. Dwelling led to overthinking which led to dumb conclusions and false beliefs and a waste of time so she would  _ not  _ dwell.

The ice rink curved to view. Her nuisance dawdled when she hurried.  _ Kim _ proposed the  ice-skating idea in the first place (“We don’t do anything together unless it’s for the act! We need to hang out normally again for fun. ”) and while her heart stirred at the idea , she knew the misleading organ couldn’t have any reigns when it came to  _ sense. _

And  _ sense  _ knew it was all bogus. The looks.  The… kisses.  The handholds to  gym class  ( that  _ she’d _ started). The entire dating charade.

_ Charade. _

Her creativity couldn’t let anything fantastical intrude, so that morning of their friend-date she called up most of the class so they’d join too, _begging_ the hesitant even if it wasn’t for too long. She’d secured a fair amount before _Nathaniel_ of all people admitted he was genuinely busy, meaning her plan to stick in the corner with him had gone to flames. She needed a plan B despite how her chest ached to tell Nate _something_ about Kim and her. Whatever it was.

(Whatever it _ wasn’t,  _ she reminded herself.)

Her shoulders tensed when she felt him brush a hand down her shoulder. She couldn’t pin just him for acting strange. Maybe there was a lot on  _ both  _ minds.

“Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” She snapped around. “Are  _ you  _ okay?”

“I’m just great!”

“Well then I’m just great!”

They stood, squared at the  ice rink  entrance, a theatrical disappointment of  a display .

Alix blew air. “No.  Okay this is totally out of it for me, right? But  I actually asked to walk together a bit early because I wanted to…  um,  I wanted to…”

Her mouth  dried  with humiliation, but Kim’s eyes held hers. “Yeah?”

“I wanted to talk about the kiss.”

A thrill channelled down him the same time as horror as he waited on thin ic– no, puns were not acceptable at this time – for her next words.  _ Why  _ did she want to talk about it?  Was it terrible?  Was it him? Did he—

“Did I cross a line?”

His eyes bloomed to complete circles. “No!”

“Did you…” she swallowed, the way she  started to  open up harmonised to how externally she closed in, evident to the pinch of her brow to the shuffling of feet , “Did you, I guess, enjoy it?” When Kim left a gap of noise, she blurted out, “I don’t want to keep doing it if you think I’m a bad kisser I just– Argh, sorry, we just– we haven’t discussed it and I feel it’s an elephant in the room at this point and you’re acting weird because of it, or other things. I just wanted to—”

Then she stilled, like the crest of time politely reminded her who she was.

“I mean,” she squinted at herself, then her expression flattened to a familiar stern , head shaking before she said , "do I make out good or what?”

It was Kim’s turn to be flustered.

“ Um…  Well,” he scratched the warming part on the back of his neck,  grin sheepish, “I definitely wouldn’t say you’re  _ bad _ .” But he definitely wouldn’t mind  _ practicing  _ some more. “So yeah, you’re pretty great, and it makes everyone believe us, right?”

Her posture wilted. “ Uh … yeah .”

“But I’m better . ”

“Wh—How am I supposed to know you’re  a  better kisser than me if —"

“ _ Hoooold  _ up.”

Nino destroyed the serenity , a bag to his side and aghast girlfriend on the other. “Who’s kissing who?”

Kim mouth went slack as Alix  whipped around  to greet the (far too) early arrivers, coupling a showman grin to a false sense of ease. “Just a scene we’re practising for next lesson. How are you guys?”

Alya deflated, Nino’s elbow superiorly nudging her. 

“Yeah, we’re good.”

Guess who  _ wasn’t  _ good.

It’d been  ten  minutes of the Alya and Nino interrogation (“ _ How are you handling such a big lie like that?” “Oh stop; I’m sure they’re fine. They’re very close and get along, right guys?” _ _ “Well obviously they’re  _ close  _ but not like  _ that,  _ huh dudes?”)  _ where they came to conclusions why they’d arrived obnoxiously  _ early.  _ It’d been five minutes of exchanging pleasantries with the other entrants ( _ finally)  _ and skittering off to collect their skates. 

And it’d been two minutes since being whisked from Alix’s company, two seconds since side-glancing for the umpteenth time, and one second after deciding that  _ this sucks. _

Kim liked Alix.

The  _ like- _ like type.

Humiliating, sure, but the horrible thing was he liked he r  a  _ lot _ ,  as though  it’d been building up at unnoticed heights so tall that it eventually tipped and crushed his thick skull in an astronomical, seen but unseen way, that shocked him, but he  _ knew  _ was coming.

He was also fake-dating Alix.

Unfortunately _. _

As  soon as the realisation that hey, maybe some of this isn’t fake cracked through —and after the hour of “Alix?  _ Alix?  _ I like  _ Alix?!”— _ his actions bolted from his cognitive mind and landed him in the uncomfortably organised room of Max, where he decided this whole thing wouldn’t be fake anymore; that he would win over Alix.

_ Ha _ .

Kim won a lot of things (and he meant a  _ lot _ ), but he knew he was gambling with absurdity. Alix didn’t like him, no matter what the memories inferred. That look she gave him was nothing. Their kiss was nothing . Their moments  and sighs and touches and silence that said something, were  _ n _ _ othing _ .

That’s what his brain bullied anyway,  but he often never listened that thing; Alix even said herself: 

He was a meathead. 

Strictly for this,  Kim would be going off his heart no matter the consequences as the biggest dare he’d ever given himself. It could land him in  atrocious positions, break a friendship, and crush his heart – and that terrified him, so although it was probably one of the stupidest ideas in the first place,  he needed to be careful ; gentle; clever.

In other words, he was completely winging this whole thing.

“You  appear distracted.” Max skates break smoothly. “Anything I can do?”

Kim’s lips pinched. “No.”

Alix glided with her friends around the rink, and even though her skill could easily spare it, she never glanced his way. Behind, Adrien and Marinette lost themselves in the other , spinning and smiling and grieving his heart. He’d never be like that.  _ They  _ were a couple. Kim and Alix wouldn’t do any of those things, even if they ended up dating. 

Just like that, doubts trampled his mood.

“Go talk to her,” Max inched, arms akimbo on the railing in a look that unsuited him; too casual. Everyone relaxed here. he ice screeched, the halo of flavourful lights twirled with those on the rink, and Kim realised out of the few balancing on unused blades behind the rail that he was alone as Max slid away. 

He almost wished Nino, of all the goading headaches, would come over if it entertained his limp thoughts that skirted to pink hair unwillingly , ignoring the twinge that he’d definitely bring her up.  He  _ could  _ talk to Alix ; make the most of their day off, but an unsettled weight kept him watching  over his class on ice  in feign entrancement. Did  _ she  _ want to talk? Or was she enjoying his lack of company?

In the end, it wasn’t his choice.

Alix had poise and practiced skill and could skate  _ magnificently _ , but she had very good reason to slam into the bar at Kim’s crossed arms in a way that couldn’t be considered delicate.

“There’s—” if she wasn’t panting, lungs blocked by the dubious words clogging her throat, she would’ve relished in the silliness of Kim’s jolt, “We’re—”

He took consideration to lift her elbow, probably attempting to steady whatever the spectacle she was – a gesture although kind, did little to stabilise her and ended in a battle between her latching, falling, and Kim catching; a scrambled of arms and slips; a nice (hilarious) visual touch to the boring railing.

She caught herself finally, hair unserious as she said seriously, “There’s a couple from the gym here.”

His breath caught.

Behind her, a pair that didn’t strike instant identification slid with the advert plastered to the rink’s curb, hand and hand in an otherwise unpeculiar sight. But Kim  knew,  within  a few seconds of baldly staring that they were from the gym. One’s light hair brought images of a celebrity schoolmate into mind — Adeline  Beauréal , Aurore’s sister—then the other, Théo  Barbot , who he saw (just about everywhere) at Alix’s house once, doing schoolwork with her older brother.

Of course, there was the  _ real  _ reason how he registered their  faces so fast.

_ Down, up, kiss. _

_ Down, up,  _

miss _. _

Kim’s eyes fell against the parted lips below, memories  churning . 

“What do we do?” he said dumbly.

Her heart thundered in her ears. Panic clipped off  her  cognitive thinking. The sleek squeal of sliced ice skated closer. 

Then just as Adeline and Théo found the gate, side-eyeing the recognised affiliates—

Down.

Up.

_ Kiss. _

(Alix would like to blame it on her previous encounter with the railing and  _ pain. _ )

She’d reached small hands the back of his head, descending him to her, and the hand that _raced_ to tilt her chin and consolidate his permission set off a million sensations at once, their lips sliding like skates and parting just as quickly.

Too quickly.

And agape as their mouths were, mixed air tingling against their cool skin, they weren’t the only ones.

At least five classmates had jaws to the floor.

One of them was waving a hand at the others, “Did yous just—!?”

Kim sliced a look Nino’s way, dense with warning. 

The couple who were  heading past the other, alleged, couple out the gate exchanged odd looks, before steadying towards the snack bar. With their backs turned, Alix sharply gestured, expression stretched but silent and written with explanation. 

Eyes shrunk with slow realisation as they look ed  at them, then back at Kim and Alix.

Alya thwacked the exasperate teen. “I  _ told  _ you they kiss now. I wouldn’t make that up!”

“Who were they?” said Adrien, waddling  amusingly  up to them. 

“A couple from gym class. We had to act quickly, and uh,” Alix continued, knowing she had to enlighten reasons for the whole dramatics of their choice of cover, “I was slipping before and we looked quite dumb. We had to do something right after that would turn it into something… romantic?”

The ones who hadn’t yet reached understanding ‘ _ ohh’ _ ed quietly.

“Sorry about that guys,” Kim, somehow, managed to fill the silence, lips and skin and chest straining with electricity. The shock hounded him as he kept up. He wasn’t expecting to kiss Alix today, but boy if he wasn’t complaining. “Um, we’ll have to—” he said quieter , “—we’ll have to act like a couple from now on. Don’t mind us.”

The classmates passed looks. Each though synched.

_ The bet. _

After today, after  _ seeing _ , final sides would be determined.

As Kim gave Alix’s hand a comforting squeeze, Nino gulped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see you whenever *evil laughter*


	21. Yes, Alix is Still Slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino can’t handle change and no one’s listening to Nathaniel

“Are you uncomfortable?

“No.”

“Are you scared?”

“ _No_.”

The fellow gym-couple hadn’t left, and neither had Alix’s hand from Kim’s as they glided the ring, dimly aware of classmates’ stares. It was an awkward merry-go-round. 

It should’ve felt natural—like any other time they were condensed into these positions—but ease didn’t nullify their stiffness with a crowd involved. The crowd, also known as their classmates they saw every day, could very muchnever let any of what they saw go – as if elevating the unsettling tension with all those _whispers_ weren’t enough.

Ignoring his own discomfort, Kim’s glove squeezed hers. “Come on Alix. it’s just me! Let’s show them what an awesome fake couple we are!”

She looked at him nervously. “This isn’t weird to you?”

“Very. In fact, Nino’s kind of freaking me out with his looks. But we can stick it to them! We’ve done this heaps of times. Besides, they just saw us kiss.”

Alix swallowed a small noise.

They were fine. Not awkward at all.

Hand in hand, they skated circles on the ice a fair distance behind Théo and Adeline as though they should be doing nothing else; as though it wasn’t weird.

But it _was_ still weird. The entire thing was weird.

Being cool friends with Kim, now suddenly sharing moments, looks, kisses, touches, feeli—

Alix flexed her jaw. Hard. 

Point was, their dynamic hit the curb of change _fast_ , and she didn’t know how neutral she was supposed to behave to it all. She went from laughing at his pathetic ‘fake-relationship proposal’ (man, if the way he threw that half-sketched violet drawing at her face didn’t gratify her week), to wearing his hoodie, teaching him to skate, learning swimming strokes, sharing ice cream, being _vulnerable_ before each other, and not to mention his confession with Ondine. Oh, that _shattered_ her in ways it wouldn’t have a month ago. She couldn’t even imagine Kim feeling any of that stuff a month ago.

And now here Alix was, fingers intertwined, pulling a show for their classmates.

Before she arrived, she’d longed for Nathaniel to come. She could open to him about most things and he’d answer her unidentified grief for her. Even if they were in public, she still wanted to talk to him about… whatever this awfulness was, if it were anything. But now with Kim actively being her fake boyfriend, seeing Nate from the stands would’ve done more than kill her dignity, so she was pleasantly content with her friend not being—

Excuse-

What-

 _What_ -

At the gateway, derby-winning Alix Kubdel almost stacked in her skates, saved by fake-boyfriend Kim.

“Hey Nathaniel! You made it.”

Oh for—

Her sadistic luck could eat the dirt.

The redhaired boy saw the fright in her eyes and versed it with confusion seeing who she was attached to (the way he had caught her in his arms didn’t help). He strolled up, hands in pockets and quickly smiling to the rest who greeted him. 

Nathaniel stood, facing a hand-holding pair who quite frankly looked like they wanted to melt into the floor.

“Hey Alix, and her… real boyfriend?” He squinted, not sure if he should be amused. “Is this why you wanted me to come so bad over the phone?”

“No! Well– Yeah I totally want you here but it’s _not_ what it looks like, we’re just–”

“There’s a couple from the gym here.”

He took a few seconds before processing, where a hearty laugh at the misfortune sent Alix into a spell of defeat. “Oh _dear_ ,” Nate said sarcastically. “Did I come when you guys are in the middle of fake dating? What a shame. Honestly, such a shame—”

“Shut it, Nathaniel.”

He sent her a cryptic smirk. “I’m sure you’re devasted.”

She straightened in her skates, glaring. “What’s that supposed to mean—?”

“No, don’t mind me!” He backed away, fixing his bag strap. “I’ll just be hanging out around the others, you know, here drawing since Marc got sick earlier today. Ooh, actually,” he rummaged the satchel and pulled out a tattered sketchbook, “I have a pretty good visual reference to use this for now. There are many lovely things to draw at a skating rink.”

Alix smacked her head on the gate as he went off.

“Wait, was he saying he was going to draw us?”

“ _Yes_ Kim,” she snarled, then yanked on his arm. “Ignore him. Let’s go buy drinks so we don’t have to look at any of their faces. Max looks like he’s watching a nuclear bomb about to go off.”

Even if Nathaniel joked otherwise, their act – none of it was real.

* * *

  
So apparently, it was all real.

“You saw them kiss, right? I know kisses and _that_ wasn’t the first time they’ve done that.”

“They’re acting.” Nino’s hands pinched and gesticulated passionately, tightening Alya’s frown. “That’s what they have to do! Why am I the only one that gets it?”

“They’re in love!”

“She’s doing a favour!”

Max’s cold fingers gripped his slushie, looking down in deep contemplation, or discomfort, as he had mistakenly removed his gloves. “Maybe it’s best we leave them both alone. How about calling off the bet and letting them work their own pace?”

Nino clapped. “That’s the thing, dude! There’s no pace! There’s only Kim, Alix, and working out at the gym. They’re taking advantage of a deal by pretending to be in relationship! Yet all of you are so obsessed with making it a ‘thing’.”

“To be fair,” Adrien piped up timorously, rubbing his neck, “you do seem the most obsessed, Nino.”

“Well all of you have gone insane! Rose is losing her mind over the kiss, Mylène I’m pretty sure doesn’t even care, Juleka I don’t know – It seems only Marinette and I know what’s _really_ up, isn’t that right, dudette—”

The expression on his accomplice was one that parched his confidence.

His elbow on her shoulder dropped, her eyes frail and anxious.

“Oh _no_.”

“Alya made a really convincing PowerPoint.”

He whipped around, smacking a table. “Dang it Alya, not the PowerPoints!”

The afternoon had promised revelations and eye-openings, not closings. Nino had feverishly awaited the moments their faces would sink and minds refresh with understanding that this was Kim and Alix, not lovesick teens. He was certain the ice rink would show their true colours in dynamic. Memories of everything they’ve done, who they were, and how they hadn’t changed. They’ve bled and cried and puked in front of each other! They’ve labelled the other names far from cutesy and competed in ways nowhere near romantic. 

They were– They were just–

“Unrealistic,” he muttered, unknowing to the pair in question coming behind, “they’re _unrealistic_.”

Trudging himself up, he escaped to the ice and slid off.

Alix’s mouth lingered on her straw. 

Unrealistic. 

That had to be about them. 

Detaching from Kim’s side as he began asking what Nino was talking about (“Nothing important,” she heard Alya say), Alix took her place in a booth, sipping and watching Théo and Adeline on the rink. Lost in her own world she couldn’t help studying their movements and smiles. She could tell they were real, mainly to how Adeline didn’t look like she wanted to die for once. But there was grace and charm and _happiness_ danced with the duo. She could tell Ivan and Mylène were real, even if their flow on the ice bordered danger, but they helped the other’s stumbles and laughed with that happiness again. And Alya and Nino could squabble all they wanted, but no one could ignore the bubbly candour of both together sharing those looks. Real ones.

But her and Kim?

They were a hoax. And everyone knew it. 

“Hey person who’s an amazing skater but isn’t skating.” Nathaniel slid opposite her on the table, sketchbook closing. “You doing okay? Or is that just a really good drink.”

“Yes,” she said to the glass barrier, not meeting his eyes.

Nate crossed his arms on the table. “Love troubles?”

She snapped his way. “I don’t like him.”

He eased back, a little shaken. “Okay… and you’re aware he likes you, right?”

She glared at the glass again. “No he doesn’t.”

Her friend uttered an uncharacterised scoff, reclining to glance at the others to check if any were eavesdropping. Nate pulled on his jumper sleeve hem and tried to ignore the room’s chill implanted to maintain the ice.

“Sure. But he’s looking at you, you know.”

Slightly, Alix’s head perked, like a flinch, pink hair unsticking to the fogged barrier. She stared at Nathaniel with eyes minutely narrowed, not daring to angle her face any further right, lips rounded in question. 

Then, she turned, searching.

But when someone’s already looking at you, it doesn’t take long.

His cheeks reddened as he snapped his head back, attention jerking to the conversation he stood in with Adrien and Ivan but still hadn’t contributed to. However, Alix stare lingers, shock falling on the rosy contours of her skin from the cold’s bleach. 

Nathaniel was smiling when she faced him.

Her brows dropped. “No.”

“Yes.”

She slurped her drink, eyelids low. “ _No_.”

Nathaniel slapped his sketchbook open. There, revealed a sketched image of two graceful skaters, rendered and meticulously drawn. She didn’t know who they were in the first second, but another registered the logo on the male’s jacket and the obvious familiar appearance of both of them, and an unseen happiness she’d never noticed; the same happiness and grace she–

She cleared her thoughts. 

It was just her and Kim.

He grinned. “ _Yes_.”

She drew back quickly and scrunched her nose. “You drew it so gross and lovey-dovey.”

He tore the page, passing it to force her to keep. “Hey, I drew it exactly how it was. So you guys must be really good actors. All this time together… do you still think he’s the most annoying person on earth?”

She wriggled, disgruntled, aiming to idle the fleeting escape of her gaze to Kim. “No. I’m giving that title to you now.”

Sighing, he reeled back in defeat. “I’m just pointing out stuff you might not be seeing yourself.”

“Yeah, like why I shouldn’t rip this up.”

“First off, you’d never. Second, you should keep it.”

She pulled it towards her, sipping. “Fine. Whatever. Only because you drew it for me.”

Nathaniel patted the table, lifting himself and withdrawing for her solitude. 

“Go on telling yourself that.”

* * *

  
With so much on her mind, going out onto the rink probably wasn’t the best idea. But it served quite a distraction from Nino and Nate getting in her head so rudely. Alix helped Rose skate and was soon ready to do a few laps with Mylène, but a large hand on her shoulder stopped her. 

“Wanna race?”

She looked up at Kim. “We can’t _race_. There’s other skaters.”

He cast his gaze to the filled rink, swerving back with a devious glint. “Not if we take them out.”

Alix laughed, genuinely. But then she noticed Alya staring and dropped all expression. 

“I’d rather not get sued.”

Courteously, Kim offered his elbow. “Skate with me then. This was originally our _date_ , wasn’t it?”

She swallowed at the word.

The ice had been vandalised with more marks than the first time she’d gone around with Kim. This time, their hands were to themselves, and seemingly their words got stuck in their own throats too. 

“I’ve been wanting to… tell you something,” he said at lap two.

Her heart jittered. Gloves fitted between her pockets, she felt a bolt of warmth scare her.

“What?”

Kim’s jaw aimed high as he looked away. She marvelled at its attractiveness from her lower point, the sharp bone and slight jump of muscle and he clenched. He skated flawlessly and she distantly pondered if he’d gained such skill from their practices. 

“Um… the, uh,” he coughed into his hand, “the ice is pretty cold, isn’t it?”

“Yes…?”

He nodded. That was that, then.

They moved to lap three.

“No, what I really wanted to say—” 

A pair skidded in front of them, two boys gliding in ways they should not and four blades going different directions, before they crumbled, staunching Alix and Kim’s easy stride.

They got up by a worker’s assistance. Alix nudged his elbow. “What is it?”

He gulped and toyed with his glove brace. “Nothing.”

“Kim,” she said, then dared, “ _Babe_. Come on.”

He sought their audience. Some classmates were on the rink and some loitered at the gates and tables with blades half-Velcroed or fully shacked. They were busied by intense discussion and laughter. None were watching anymore, but still:

It wasn’t the right time.

Nerves frying, he slipped a fiddly hand into hers as they fell from her jacket pockets. 

“I just wanted to…” Her eyes were on their hands, but he fought the paranoia begging to pull away. “I mean… I just— You’re an amazing friend you know.”

She slewed. 

“Really. I’ve had so much fun these few weeks. I don’t remember if I ever thanked you for agreeing to my wild idea, but I’m super glad you did.” Affectionally, he circled his thumb on her glove material. “So… thank you, Alix.”

Her face waited on his even as they skated, but Kim nervousness had him looking ahead at their path. He’d caught the surprise on her face, refusing to think of it, and directed her starstruck distraction with the smooth pull of his hand so she didn’t crash. 

“Oh. No– No problem,” she stuttered, like she didn’t do. Because Alix never stuttered. “Thanks for… asking me.”

It was all such a contrast since the day he proposed the idea.

“ _You want me to what?”_

_“It’s not real,” he rushed. “We just sign under the membership and split the cost. Max did the math; it’s cheaper. Come on.”_

It had taken much convincing. 

_Her familiar sarcasm had him snatching the violet up and throwing it at her face. “Date me.”_

_“Hm. Such a gentleman. The kind gesture will have me in debate for a few days.”_

_“Alix.”_

But things had changed. They had changed. Their barriers and rules and the way they used to be stuck on romantic ideas. Their hours of mulling on ‘how to’ and ‘what to’ and countless, countless lies.

Now they walked in the gym, and let things play out, no longer feeling out of place.

Romantic ideas came easy and silent gestures weren’t frustrating or unclear anymore.

Maybe that meant something.

They rounded off their third lap up, hand in hand and mouths in silence. A sported blush on both behalves receded in noticeability by the cold’s kindness. Alix hung her head low, cursing at herself. She didn’t know what she expected Kim’s confession to be, but there was the slight pang of disappointment.

But _why_?

Reaching the gate, Alix stiffened from Kim’s large arms strapping around her.

“Wh—”

Face in her neck, Kim whispered, “This is so you know how grateful I am. Because I really am.” He cradled, her smaller arms slow to react and reach his upper spine as her gloved fingers brushed the skin. Kim shivered. “Also I’m really cold and I’m trying not to let anybody tell.”

Under her ribs, an organ swelled at the contact she didn’t know she needed. 

But her brain shut it down just as fast.

Kim knew his role, and he knew they had to be in the act. 

Meaning, the hug wasn’t entirely real.

Nino’s words returned.

“ _Unrealistic_.”

She exited the rink as Kim finally let go and squashed any feelings that had stirred. Alix shucked off her skates, binned the slushie that had melted into too much liquid, and smiled at Max who hadn’t stopped watching her with a fretted brow since she slipped from Kim’s company. Finding someone to talk to wasn’t hard but avoiding Kim’s slightly confused stare seemed more challenging. 

To distract, all she required to remember was that it wasn’t real. Everything they did today from the kiss to the hand holding to that hug¸ was as much of a hoax as they were.

They were unrealistic.

And Kim must’ve known it too.

  
She didn’t notice Théo and Adeline had left long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this took longer to post than it did to write. Archive’s updated and my laptop’s so old it can’t handle it, and my phone’s so old or it’s just really weird that formatting this entire thing made my want to knife my insides sO Idk if I can afford a laptop or anything but I’ll try to work something out because literally it was that stressful and time consuming and ahh restarting sm why (lol hope y’all enjoyed the pain in this one tho, always enjoy reading your lovely comments)


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